Begin Again
by Parsee
Summary: It initially feels like the makings of a cliché. A bad one. But as it turns out, living a new life in a completely different world isn't exactly as easy and simple as most people make it out to be. /Awakening; OC Self-Insert/
1. Prologue

**Pre-story notes** : I've written something before, but I took it down to be replaced by this. I suppose you could say that I've been inspired to make an OC self-insert as realistically as my current writing skill could allow (which isn't much, but hey, that's why we have reviewers to concrit our works, right?). Sounds ambitious, I know, and I hope I end up doing well in the long run because I'm still learning to be actually _good_ at stuff like this.

* * *

 **Prologue**

 **-oo-**

Introductions were something I found difficult to pull off because I could either sound overeager or too boring, but the sooner this was done, the better.

So. Ahem. My name is River, but believe it or not, that wasn't my real name.

Sounds stupid, right? I probably sounded demented or something. After all, how could I have another name when I've been River since the day I was born? That that sweet, fifteen-year-old girl you see around the village? She was actually someone else. Which technically didn't make sense when you could push me to my parents—and my parents' friends—only for them to say the same thing: That I was the same baby that they've watched grow before their eyes.

I wish I could say the same for myself.

But no, unfortunately, I couldn't.

Truth be told, I wasn't always… well, _me_.

That, um… well, once upon a time, I lived in a world where guns and bombs were weapons instead of blades, bow and arrows, or magic. That instead of sprawling, rustic villages dotting across a wide field of green, there were urbanized cities with skyscrapers reaching out to the smoke-filled skies.

I'm not joking. Nor am I high. Or drunk… or delusional.

In fact, let me ask a question: Ever heard of the cliché in fiction where the main character finds himself—or herself—miraculously in another world after a buildup of events ranging from boring to overly tragic?

Ahaha… yeah, that's what basically happened to me. No bullshit.

However, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows like most stories made it out to be.

For one… no, it was hardly simple.

No, it didn't involve any usual set-up scenes of falling asleep and waking up in the middle of no-freaking-where. Or did it involve any magical doors that you'd just have to open and step into. Hell, it didn't even involve the presence of some divine entity that would inform you of what happened and what was now to be your new role, your new purpose in your new world.

(Although, it did involve dying. I'll give you guys that.)

Aaaand, no, what happened was not some fangirl's dream come true. In fact, you'll find that life was just as harsh and as wonderful as it was in your previous world. Although, during the time that I came to be, I couldn't exactly come to that conclusion at once. Infants didn't really have much room for thinking. For anything other than wailing in the middle of the night and generally being a lovable nuisance, anyway.

So let me ask another question: ever heard of reincarnation?

I wasn't about to claim to be an expert in the concept, but I could say that _that_ was what basically happened to me. I didn't fully understand _how_ it happened, but I _knew_ it did. Even though, well… until now, I wasn't fully convinced my reincarnation occurred. Maybe I just _thought_ I had a past life. It wasn't difficult to think things happened that way.

The mind, after all, was a powerful thing; for all I knew, my old life was nothing but the product of a young girl's wild imaginations when she had nothing better to do but lie on the grass and stare at the clouds. Kind of like the way a kid from the twenty-first century would imagine himself clashing blades with an imaginary villain in an attempt to save the princess trapped in a tower.

Fifteen years was a _lot_ of time to spend for something that could be one big, fat lie, after all. If my new life was just a concoction, that's some great deal of attention to detail right there. Understandably, I couldn't dismiss this one as a fake.

For the record, my mother had given birth to me. Painfully. And my father—well, in an attempt to push aside any awkward details about how babies came to be, I'm just going to say that he helped me to _be_. I had an older sister who had a different father but might just be the family favorite, for good reason, and I definitely had friends when I grew up, too. And, sure, I've had my share of bridges burned, growing up. It was a typical life that didn't raise any alarm bells because it all felt so real and _normal_.

Well, relatively normal, in my case.

How was there any room for doubt? I smiled when happy, cried when sad. I saw love bloom and fall apart. I saw people live and die, and I've experienced life's ups and downs. I fell, got hurt, and stood back up. I lived life as it was.

What I'm saying is, everything I experienced was genuine.

But then, I'd remember my nightmares. Or were they dreams? Regardless, they were strange dreams I encountered as I grew up. They were flashes of images that felt familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. And like water, they slipped through my fingers before I comprehended what I saw. And in those dreams-slash-memories, I'd hear voices, calling my name. Some I realized were family. Some were friends; some were even enemies. I'd hear myself calling them back with a smile so bright the sun looked dim in comparison. Run to them, embrace them, and laugh like I'd never laughed before.

I _knew_ them. And the places I've gone to? I've recognized them. And when one surprisingly vivid dream—which turned out to be a memory—involved myself looking straight at a mirror, I realized that the stranger I was staring at was _me_.

Dreams had the tendency to be forgotten at the end of the day. Unless I owned a dream journal, I wouldn't recall shit. But then, these flashes of images remained burned into my mind as days, weeks, and years passed. It actually made for a pretty confusing childhood, now that I thought about it.

And I couldn't puzzle out all those memories at first. In fact, I've spent a lot of time pondering about what I just saw, which also meant several curious days when Mother's little girl wasn't as responsive as she usually was. Yeah, those moments were spent poking and flipping over each memory. I might have even shaken some of them. Figuratively speaking.

Heck, it wasn't until I've heard the word "Ylisse" in passing that I realized my dreams actually made sense. Even more so when I saw the Mark of Naga in a picture book (or at least I _thought_ it was a picture book...). And when I dared to look at my mother's closet to take a closer inspection of her clothes because my thoughts wouldn't stop pestering me... I realized how the colors and patterns resembled that of a certain tactician's attire in a video game. Hell, I was shocked enough when I realized that I knew what a _video game_ was. The revelation nearly made me stumble back with a gasp.

Everything clicked together like one big jigsaw puzzle.

I was in the Fire Emblem universe for eight years and running. By the Gods, it took that long before I could get over my denial.

Why me, though? Not to put myself down too much (because, let's face it, a low self-esteem didn't do anyone any good), but I was hardly special. I was just an average, eighteen-year-old teenager trying to get through her first year in college. I worked part-time in a nice little café, owned a car, and went home to her parents during the weekend. I even had a dog.

And, as far as I knew, I was barely a bad person. Screaming at the sight of a flying cockroach and hiding under a table hardly qualified as being evil incarnate. If someone threw barbs at me, I'd return them gift-wrapped with a smiley face on the card. I doubt kicking someone in the family jewels for being an ass counted as evil, either.

Basically, I was so averagely average that I didn't even foresee this whole thing happening the moment this asshole of a drunk driver t-boned my car and crushed me inside.

What's done was done, though. Fortunately or unfortunately, this was my life now and it was up to me to live it as it was.

There wasn't any much choice, really. Nor was there point in despairing over what had been lost, who I had left behind. My current life was just as much of a kick as my old one, and who was I to question things when so far, everything was going fine? I was River now, and nothing would change that.

Yes. River, the second daughter of my mother who used to be a Grimleal fanatic back in Plegia. The daughter of the woman who fled with her firstborn child for fear of both their lives, who had settled down in a faraway village, met my father, married him, and had me. Yes, _that_ same woman we all know of from _Fire Emblem:_ _Awakening_.

And, yeah-huh, you guessed it.

My older sister? It was none other than Robin, future tactician of Chrom's army.

…Maybe something _was_ wrong with me if it took me eight years to realize that _our_ Robin was no one else but _that_ Robin.

* * *

 **I'll probably come back to this again in a couple days to see if there's stuff to add or fix. For now though, reviews are very much appreciated! I'll probably tackle some pre-main game story events first before cutting to the chase. Gotta establish the relationship between the two sisters first, after all. I just hope I'm up to the challenge.**


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

 **-oo-**

I'd have thought the moment I found out where I was now and who I was before, I'd squeal in joy and jump around like a bunny on a sugar rush because what basically happened to me was every Fire Emblem's fan come true.

…Well, it was? Wasn't it? The characters were likeable, the world and the story were interesting, _magic_ existed and there was a certain thrill when it came to mowing down the enemy units with your well-trained army. It was a dream come true.

Except, that, well, I was surprised to find that I didn't see it that way.

Maybe it was because it had something to do with living out most of my childhood as normally as it could get. That... yeah, I used to dismiss my old memories as nothing but strange dreams or fantasies. Same way I had for the past couple years. Or, well, maybe because I was _used_ to this life so much that the memories were nothing but an echo of the past.

They were familiar, but distant. They gave me more insight than a normal eight-year-old girl would have—like, say, knowing what would happen sometime in the future—but that was that. I mean, I felt like I could act the same way I did from my past life, but most of the time my new instincts overrode what I _thought_ I should do.

It was a feeling very difficult to put into words.

So, instead of freaking out in my parent's room, I'd quietly shut Mother's closet and decided to just… do something else.

Except that I didn't know _what_ to do.

Normally, I'd have gone to Robin and invited her to play with me outside the house like I had usually done since the day I learned to talk (again) and walk (yep, you guessed it, _again_ ). It made for a nice distraction and my sister always knew to make things more fun than usual. But then, it was during this age that Robin's personal study sessions had become a regular thing. I wasn't sure what made Mother pick up the pace, but I did remember her and Robin coming home one day from the next town over, Robin looking confused, and Mother looking... scared.

All I knew was this: ever since that day, Mother had taken it upon herself to pass every bit of knowledge that she possessed down to her daughter.

Well, enough knowledge that a ten-year-old like Big Sister could absorb at the moment, anyway.

On second thought… no, scratch that. I nearly forgot. This was _Robin_ I'm talking about here.

She was, in her own right, a genius. Partly because of who her biological father was and partly because Mother was very smart herself. She got the best of both worlds from her parents. So, of course Robin would be able to tackle a lot more than I probably could. Of course she'd find Mother's lessons a piece of cake.

Robin _liked_ to learn. There was that, too.

And, admittedly, I might have been like her if I sat still and _studied_ instead of spending more time playing outside.

During my younger years, around the time I was six... (or was it seven?) Mother used to teach me the same material she taught Robin when she was my age. But when she found out that I was more likely to end up blanking out in a daydream than listening to her lecture about the correct way to manipulate the energy from a tome, she'd decided to ease up the load and left the heavier stuff to Robin. She still taught me and made sure her lessons _stuck_ , but her main attention was now directed to Big Sis.

I guess you could say that the resentment eating at me during the times I felt ignored was the result of my own actions. I was still a kid in the end, after all. I didn't know any better.

But… it was funny. Apparently, all it took was my memories now making sense before my interest in everything spiked up to a level I didn't expect to possess.

Basically, mulling over my memories made me aware that I was several years away from the chaos that was soon going to engulf the lands beyond my village. I wasn't sure when it would happen, but going by with what I still remembered from the in-game storyline (which was hazy at best because, come on, my death happened many, many years ago), it definitely would.

No other girl my age would have realized that the peace I knew never meant to last forever, that beyond this cocoon of safety, danger lurked.

Oh, we had bandit attacks from time to time that had me hiding underneath my bed and trying not to wet myself, but Mother and Father were always able to fend them off before they could even take one step into our house. Even brave Robin could come and help if our parents allowed her; she could already swing a sword (Father taught her because he knew how; he was part of the village's militia) in many ways and cast a basic Fire spell.

And me… I'd been too busy taking everything for granted.

I didn't take Mother's lessons seriously.

I was more likely to run away screaming at the first sign of danger.

And, I definitely didn't know how to even _hold_ a sword without accidentally tossing it away. And my affinity for magic—the one thing that I definitely inherited from Mother? I couldn't even make proper use of it.

Stupid, right? What would have happened if I didn't remember my past self and let the years go by without doing anything?

Exactly. I'd be completely helpless. I'd be one of the stupid green units in Paralogue 3 of Fire Emblem: Awakening.

And, more importantly, I'd be Risen food.

That'd be scary.

Thus, it made perfect sense that _I_ ought to start taking things more seriously. I was already feeling scared enough when I remembered what would befall Robin in the future. She wouldn't be there for me... so the least I could do was be there for her.

I had known it wasn't too late. True, I wasn't exactly sure how my existence was going to affect things. Even until now, I still wasn't. But I knew this for fact: I definitely can't be a liability. I don't want to be a disappointment to my mother, who was a brilliant tactician despite her old Grimleal status. Or to my father, a skilled swordsman in the militia.

Or to Robin either, the sister I always looked up to. Kind, understanding, _smart_ Robin.

So when I had finally decided to forgo playing and instead walked in on the little, makeshift study room of our house, interrupting Mother's lecture about the more advanced spell tomes, suffice to say that they were pretty surprised to see me.

"Did you need something, River?" Robin asked curiously, blinking her dark eyes at me. Ruefully, she added, "I'm sorry I can't play with you right now. Maybe later when I'm done?"

"Well, at least you knocked before entering this time," Mother sighed. She unconsciously tucked a stray lock of white-blond hair behind her ear—hair that only Robin inherited, by the way. I knew I had the tendency to simply push any door open and barge in whether I was welcome or not. "Alright, let's hear it. If you're thinking of dragging Robin away with you, _again_ , then you're going to have to sit in with her until I'm done."

My eight-year-old instincts had me considering stepping back and forgetting my stupid decision, to just run away and play in the mud. But then... no. Gotta be brave. Can't be a sissy.

"Um, I'm… I'm not going to ask Robin to play with me today," I said, trying my best to choke down my hesitation and word my request right. When Mother had that stern look on her face, it was hard to speak _and_ think straight.

"Well, then, does your father need me? Though I doubt he's already returned."

"Noooo... he hasn't. It's not that, either." I shook my head.

 _I want you to teach me the stuff you taught Robin_.

That shouldn't have been so hard.

Why was that so hard to say?

"You can tell us anything, River. Mother doesn't bite people's head off even though she looks it," Robin jokingly said in an attempt to bring a smile on my face. Mother shot her a mildly amused look before returning her gaze towards me.

"That's true. But I… you see… I…"

They stared and waited for me expectantly.

I swear, at that moment I felt like a stranger in my own home. The only difference being their age, the two closely resembled each other far more than I ever would. And me, I took after my father; my dark, wavy hair definitely came from him, especially my eyes, which were more on the dark purple side (almost black, really, until light shone through it) than any other color.

...Gods, that was right. I had the Mary Sue eyes. Then again, if a person in this world was allowed to have _pink_ hair, let alone _blue_ , then what was wrong with having an eye color like this? It's not like I chose to be born this way, and so far, I was as special as a mud puddle. A mud puddle that reincarnated, true, but _still_.

"I want to get back to the kind of lessons you taught me before," I blurted out, wincing as I waited for the backlash.

My eyes closed shut and expected something to happen. Something that went boom and caused pandemonium and bad things and... and...

...

And nothing happened.

Actually, before I opened my eyes, I felt my forehead being touched by something warm. A hand. I found out that Robin had placed hers—the one marked with a peculiar symbol—on top of it, murmuring something I think sounded like, "Nope, no fever…"

 _Fever_?

"Are you sure, Robin?" Mother asked her. Neither daughter nor Mother sounded like they were making fun of me. In fact, they were _concerned_. "She was outside when it rained the other day. She might be coming down with one."

What the hey?

"I'm not sick!" I exclaimed, stepping back in range of the doorknob in case I needed to skedaddle. To where, I didn't know, but it _seemed_ like a good idea. "Nope, I'm not. I just decided I want to pick up where we dropped off before. Before the, uh, the simpler lessons."

Naturally, Mother asked about my sudden, uncharacteristic interest. She still double-checked my body temperature, though, despite my numerous objections. I squirmed under her touch, visibly uncomfortable under her sharp, inspecting gaze.

"Dear, if you're feeling ignored because I've been spending more time with Robin again, you know you can just tell me. Honesty is the best policy, remember?" Mother added and stepped back, Robin standing right beside her.

At that moment, I wondered how I could translate _I don't want to be a useless waste of space in the near future because I know what will happen and it's kinda-sorta shitty_ into child-speak.

But then I decided to just say what my mind came up with.

"Well, Robin's doing some pretty flashy spells lately and all I did last time the village was attacked was to hide in the closet and pretend to be a dress. I don't want to be like that again." And in a tiny voice, I added, "Moths scare me."

Yes, no bullshit. They did.

I definitely remembered that moth from a couple weeks ago. It was a memory impossible to bury deep underground where it would never see the light of day. The moth was large, disgustingly _brown_ , and it was crawling up my dress and I was praying to the gods that it didn't go to my face or else I'd scream my lungs off. I was too young to end up blind, and well... bugs freaked me out.

Well, that's one thing that carried over from my past life. Glad to know.

"I think I'd rather hide with you next time, River," Robin piped up, grinning sheepishly. "I almost burnt the house down because I thought someone else broke into the house. It's a good thing it was just Mother, and you should have seen her dispel my Fire spell with a wave of her hand."

I blanched at the revelation. Well. That was… reassuring?

"Children, let's not remind ourselves of _that_ event again." Mother admonished before I could let the fact that Robin _screwed up_ sink in. "And, really, River, if you promise that you won't just pretend to listen—"

"Or stare at the window, fall asleep, or pretend to be in mortal pain. I understand what you mean." I finished for her. Then I gave her what I thought was a hopeful smile. "Yes, Mother, I promise. I just don't want to feel like I'm not important, so that's why I want to learn those lessons again."

Robin pulled me into a tight hug. "River, you're just as important as Mother and Father are to me. You'll never be unimportant!"

I awkwardly returned the sudden embrace, strangely feeling choked rather than warm and fuzzy. Something to do with Robin's death grip, I think, which was mighty impressive for a ten-year-old. "Thanks, Robin. I love you too."

By the time Robin finally released me, Mother looked like she wanted to melt from all the adorable.

In hindsight, Robin and I did make for a cute sight just a second ago. It was probably a picture perfect moment of two sisters showing affection for each other—even though the other one would be more likely to turn blue if it happened for too long.

"Alright, then." Mother said, crossing her arms and growing serious. "If you're really serious about picking up the pace again, then we'll go back to those lessons. And be warned: I'm not about to go easy on you just because you don't understand things as quickly as Robin does. I want you to be as dedicated to this as possible, no buts."

I didn't even care how much that statement stung. A grin was growing wider and wider on my face and I nodded so fast my head almost blurred.

"I'm happy to know you're very eager. However," Mother raised a hand before I could start saying anything. "Before we _actually_ get to that, you're going to show me that you can at least cast a spell. Properly."

The grin on my face shattered into a million pieces.

The last time I used a spell, _I_ nearly burned the house down. I didn't know why I failed so epically, but I think it was because I'd lived a life that was magic-less. That, well, the weird, tingly energy I felt flowing throughout my body turned out to be the magical energy I needed to fuel a tome's power. Energy I never had before. I didn't know how to control it, even if I was taught the basics over and over, and therefore ended up either overpowering a spell or producing nothing but thin air.

Oh, Robin tried to help me with my problem ever since, but I was just too afraid to cast another spell after _that_. Even Father's persuasive powers failed to convince me to try again; in the end, everyone in the family was in mutual agreement to let me take my time in recovering from that nasty failure.

At least things turned out well several years later. I can confidently say that.

"But—"

"No, River. You said you want to improve yourself? Then you'll have to show me that you're willing to." Mother said firmly. "Magic is indeed dangerous, which is why we need to establish that you can control it." Then after seeing the horrified look on my face, she smiled at me encouragingly. "I'll be teaching you, don't worry! If your sister can do it, so can you. You'll feel better after your first successful spell, you'll see. And as your mother, I _know_ you'll succeed."

"And then we can cast spells together and impress Mother. Don't you think that's a great idea?" Robin added cheerfully, knowing full well what the best thing was to say to a frightened little sister.

I wasn't quite sure how encouraging that actually was, but considering my newfound drive to be as prepared for the future as possible, I was willing to try.

"Okay, okay, you got me," I said, finally smiling. "But… when we start, can I do my magic _far_ away from the house? I don't want Father to come home from his work to find it burnt down to the ground."

It was easier said than done, though. In fact, my lessons in the coming months or years were more magical-oriented than anything else.

* * *

 **I'm kinda-sorta apprehensive about River's eye color. I mean, I have a backup color in mind, but I just really like that color especially after seeing it on an original art. That said, I like how this one turns out. Feel free to point out any mistakes, inconsistencies, etc. A second pair of eyes is always helpful in spotting errors. :D**


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

 **-oo-**

Two years.

That was the amount of time it took me before I could finally change my magical ability status from absolutely abysmal to downright decent. You'd think that because I had a "natural affinity" to magic… or so they say… I should have managed to control my spells in a year or less. But oh, no, there was a perfectly good reason why aspiring mages started their training as early as possible. Learning took time, and it didn't always involve going outside and doing the spells for real.

I'll have you know that there was a fair bit of reading involved.

At least I had my work cut out for _that_ one. I've long since read—and Mother made sure I did—about how magic worked out in general. It's actually pretty interesting.

In summary, every living being had magic in them. It's in the blood. But because the actual amount of magic varied from person to person, not everyone could easily become a mage. Plus side: it wasn't downright impossible for those who hardly had a drop of magic in them; the only catch was that it would take decades before one could do even the simplest of spells. And even then, it would always take great effort to manipulate the elements. It was taxing on both the mind and soul, believe it or not. So if that was the case, magic normally wasn't worth investing time with unless you're _that_ desperate.

And the use of tomes? That one, I wasn't completely sure of. The books I've read had varying opinions about those things: some say that it served as a catalyst, a means of transferring a mage's magical energy—or power—into the tome so the energy becomes concentrated enough for application. One could do magic without them, but it was very taxing on the mind if one wasn't trained enough. On the other hand, some books say that tomes contain an amount energy that a mage could tap into, helping them focus their magic as they conjured lightning bolts, balls of fire, or what have you. Use up all the energy, and you'll end up with a worn-out tome that's in need of replacement.

I guess either made sense. They came down to the same conclusion anyway: mages need them to amplify their magical energy.

Although, I think the main reason why it took me so long to get the hang of things was because of my fear of screwing up badly. Try as I might to deny it, my worst attempt at casting a spell had me a touch traumatized. It was hard to stay confident when I couldn't help but think of what might happen if I made more mistakes. Ironically enough, I made a lot of them, though it didn't end as badly as it had.

I'd be lost if it wasn't for my supportive family. They were the ones that prevented my self-esteem from plummeting down where I couldn't pull it back up.

"That's more like it," Mother commented as she watched me conjure a ball of fire above my open palm. We were standing outside in an grassy field, safely away from civilization should my spells go wrong. So far, it hadn't.

I had no idea how many attempts I'd already made today, but yay, I did it. A silly grin wormed its way into my face as I saw how proud Mother was at my achievement. Robin, who'd been sitting cross-legged on the grass with a book in hand, beamed at me when I'd turned her way and awaited her verdict.

In fact, my soaring emotions kind of had the ball of fire growing a size larger. Fortunately, I knew what to do this time before my spell went out of control again. I steadied my breathing, pushed my emotions deep, deep down and concentrated on _shrinking_ the ball of magic. And it did.

Magic was actually pretty cool when I wasn't freaking out about it.

"Now dispel it," Mother instructed after I maintained the fire long enough, nodding at me. "Take your time."

I went over her tips about cancelling the spell (in which one of them involved pretending my hand was a straw that sucked up the magical energy in the air) and watched the fire die out as I closed my palm.

Wicked.

"So. What's our verdict? Bad, terribad, awful, good, amazing... or keep trying till I faint?" I asked, gauging Mother's reaction. Even if I'd sounded it jokingly, I couldn't help but let a bit of nervousness seep into my tone of voice.

Mother, for a moment, looked like she was going to reprimand me over something I might have done wrong. It wouldn't be the first time, especially when she was sporting this intense look as she stared at me with her dark, dark eyes for what seemed like forever.

But then that forever turned out to be just two seconds, and she smiled at me approvingly.

"Good, actually. And you don't have to faint—or pretend to," she said dryly. Clearly, she still remembered the good old days when I actually dreaded being stuck in her seemingly endless drills.

Robin snapped her book shut and stood up to approach me, giving me a quick hug. She stepped back with a grin that nearly matched mine. "See? I knew you could do it. You just needed to stop being so afraid and lazy."

"Pfft, lazy. You should try slacking off sometime, Robin. It's fun," I shot back and stuck my tongue out. The whole laziness thing had slowed to a stop from the past two years, but it always made for some good teasing material from time to time because I used to have it down to an art form. "When was the last time you actually sat back and relaxed? I'm surprised you haven't made a castle out of all the books you've been reading."

Well, Robin had always been a bit of a bookworm. But recently, I thought it was starting to become ridiculous as to how she managed to consume book after book _after book_ ; she even outlasted the candles deep in the night. I've taken up the habit of reading the occasional book at Mother's insistence, myself, but I'd never gone down to my sister's level.

That would be one kind of abyss I'll never find myself descending into.

Fortunately, My sister knew how I was simply joking around with her. She took absolutely no offense at all and merely patted me affectionately on the head like she would an adorable puppy. The corner of my lip twitched.

"Well, I'd say that's not a bad plan." Robin replied with an easy smile. "If you're willing to help me build one up."

I shook my head and took a step back, crossing my arms and forming an X. "No way. You'll just manipulate me into becoming more like you until Mother can't tell us apart."

Mother, suffice to say, found the whole thing amusing. She stifled a chuckle as she watched the two of us proceed to banter back and forth while bringing us back inside the house. Home wasn't too far; it only took us around fifteen minutes to come back.

"Alright, that's enough, you two," she later said by the living room, interrupting us both. When she found that she had our full attention, she said, "So. Do I have your attention? Good." She nodded at us. "I know this will sound incredibly out of the blue since you've both been so busy, but I just want to get this little announcement out of the way—"

"Oh! Oh! We're getting a new brother or sister," I speculated excitedly, eyes practically shining. It probably wasn't that, but hey, guessing games were fun. Anyone who said otherwise needed to question their life choices.

"Mother hasn't been sick, though, so I really doubt that." Robin pointed out. Ever the voice of reason, she was. "Hm… let's see… I shouldn't be wrong about the date today. So that means next week should be the celebration of Grima's defeat by the first Exalt. It's the only thing of any importance this month. There won't be any other until the next one."

Mother nodded in confirmation. Note to self: Must spruce up my historical knowledge and improve awareness of yearly events.

"Exactly. And there's going to be a festival in Ylisstol." She helpfully added, making Robin and I perk up at the implication.

Ylisstol wasn't that far from our village. By foot, it would take at least a day and a half before we get there. By carriage, even less. But we didn't really go there often, because other than the fact that there was no reason to, Mother thought it was just safer to be where we were. Safer for Robin and her, anyway, if the way they'd exchange knowing looks were any indication.

I'm not far from guessing that at some point in time, Mother had already told Robin about their current predicament. My sister was old enough to know some important things about herself, after all, so keeping her in the dark would end up being more harmful than beneficial.

But apparently they were perfectly fine with keeping _me_ in the dark. Even Father already knew.

If I had to guess, I was considered too young to be burdened with such a secret. Heck, they probably wanted me to enjoy at least a couple more years of blissful ignorance—except the joke's on them. Because if there was one thing I certainly remembered from my past life (and funnily enough, it was a memory from a video game, of all things), it was the knowledge that Robin played a big role in Grima's return.

So… in my case, it was a matter of keeping up the charade of a child who felt a bit of resentment towards her family because they didn't trust her to keep a secret. Thanks to my new body's instincts, it wasn't too difficult a task. Like, I _thought_ I understood, but I _acted_ like I didn't.

I pushed aside the thought for now, though, exchanging joyful glances with Robin before turning to Mother at the same time, wide smiles on our faces.

"We're going to Ylisstol." We declared in synchronicity before collapsing into laughter because it was difficult _not_ to look forward to going to a different place. Hell, the thought of actually going outside the village was appealing in itself. The question of why Mother decided it was high time we were out of town (so to say) was lost upon me.

Mother nodded in confirmation, and excited chatter erupted between us sisters.

I didn't miss the peculiar expression on Mother's face when she thought no one was looking, though.

In fact, I think I wasn't far off in assuming that she looked really nervous about this whole thing.

-oo-

Turns out that we managed to make it to the place in just a day on foot.

I wish I had something to say about the whole journey—other than discovering that my stamina was piss-poor and I needed to work on that—but in entirety, things were a blur until we finally emerged from the majestic gates separating Ylisstol from the outside.

And, by the gods, the city was _beautiful_.

I couldn't help but gasp in wonder as I took note of how different the large city was in contrast to our village. For one, the roads twisting and turning around the place were flat and built neatly from rock tiles, very much unlike the uneven dirt roads that I've been used to for a large fraction of my life. Unlike our village that was full of vegetation, Yllistol didn't have much green in it, save for the occasional tree that stood proud beside a structure or two. You'd have to venture out into the mountainous region separating the castle from the city proper to see even a cluster of trees. There were also plenty more houses and buildings here with varying sizes than at home; some even had signs that depicted whether it was a smith, a shop, a bakery, and gods know what else.

Most importantly, it was _busier_ here with so many people walking to and fro the streets. Even more since today was a day of celebration. From where I stood, I could see some stalls set up that sold all sorts of merchandises ranging from food to clothes. Cool, I think I could even spot an on-going puppet show at the end of one road; there were a lot of children gathered around with some adults hovering nearby. Fun and games, the things that a kid like me could ever wish for.

"Well, looks like we're in for a treat, don't you think?" Father—whom the idea of visiting the city originated from—told me with a wink. He'd noticed how starry-eyed I'd become when we stopped to take our bearings.

I grinned widely and nodded yes. Seriously, it was just too tempting to run off and take in the sights because everything's so nice and colorful and lively. I don't think I've ever seen anything close to this in my old life, either... what I still remembered of it, anyway.

"Think you can convince Mother to let me walk around the city?" I asked him.

He and I ended up looking at the woman in question, who seemed to be exerting effort in looking happy but was in actuality close to failing. When she thought we weren't looking, she fidgeted, looking here and there in a way that could only be described as someone trying to avoid another person. Robin, on the other hand, looked pleasantly happy—except that I knew for a fact that she looked quite unsure whether she wanted to be here after all.

Well, that put a damper into things.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Scratch that. Maybe we shouldn't have come after all."

Father looked at me reproachfully before approaching Mother, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly and leaning in to whisper something in her ear. It must've been something positive, because she relaxed and turned to me with a more genuine smile. I returned it with a tentative one.

"You know what? Why don't you two go enjoy yourselves? We'll meet back here later. Say… around sunset?" She suggested, handing me a pouch that obviously clinked with money. It probably didn't contain a lot, but hey, I wasn't about to complain.

At this, Robin lit up like an oil lamp. Before I could drag my sister away with me, however, Mother pulled me closer to her to murmur something.

"Don't let Robin out of your sight, River. Promise?"

"Um, sure. I promise," I replied obediently, flashing her the sweetest smile I could ever muster. Then I took Robin's hand, shot her a grin, and tugged at her. My sister indulgently moved towards me and said a quick goodbye to our parents.

After that, we were off towards the nearest stall that caught my eye. That sure was the reddest cloak I've ever seen.

In fact, I think it was love at first sight.

-oo-

And, apparently, today was also the first time I experienced my first heartbreak.

By the time mid-afternoon rolled in, I couldn't resemble anything else but a ten-year-old ball of depression. I sulked after Robin, who had, sometime earlier, taken the lead in checking out as much of the city as we could in an entire day. So far we've taken a look at the stalls, poked our heads into an armory before we were shooed off, aimlessly walked down a street filled with crowds of people, and left a bakery with a tasty piece of bread on our hands.

The bread, for the record, tasted like happiness if feelings could be put into flavor. I couldn't appreciate it fully, though. Because…

"You're still sad about not having enough coin to buy that cloak," Robin stated rather than asked. The twelve-year-old was happily munching on her own bread as she pulled me towards what I figured would be the city square. It had benches, a statue and a majestic-looking fountain, so I couldn't be wrong. Plus there's plenty of people.

Wow, if that was the best way I could describe a part of the city, I should get out more.

"It was so velvety and so red. And it was so close, yet so far…" Okay, at this point, I was being dramatic. I am not ashamed to admit that.

A snort escaped from my older sister as we sat down on a stone bench to rest our feet. Some children several years younger than us were running around in a game of tag, and I watched them half-longingly since it's been nothing but endless magic drills and reading these days for me.

"There's always a next time." Robin said diplomatically.

That next time could mean several years later, but I quickly shook the thought away. Cynicism should have no room for a ten-year-old like me. I blame the old me seeping into the present me.

"I hope so," I sighed, taking a large bite out of my bread. "Because I really, really, _really_ want that cloak."

At least, that was what I thought I'd said next. Apparently, my words came out as a jumbled mess because I spoke with my mouth full, making Robin say lightly, "I think you'd really, really, _really_ want to swallow first before you end up choking to death."

I shot her an unamused look but did what she asked, anyway.

"But yeah, I mean it. I'm going to put that at the top of my wish list right now."

"You never had a wish list."

"Wait, I don't?"

"Nope."

"Well then… now I do." I quickly said. "Someday I'm going to own that cloak and I'll wear it every day, even in the middle of summer. Watch me. None shall be able to stop me from rubbing my face against that velvety goodness when we're reunited."

Robin chuckled and lightly bumped her shoulder against mine, causing me to look at her in one of my I-am-dead-serious looks. She chuckled even more. "Alright, little sis. Let's not get carried away… or end up crazy. Because you're starting to be and I most certainly don't want to be caught with your affliction."

"For someone who's generally nice and smart, that was mean," I replied in mock hurt.

Robin gently bopped me in the head and caused me to narrow her eyes at her. She stared back at me challengingly, and seconds later we broke eye contact and burst into laughter.

"Anyway, we still have enough time to do more stuff before we rejoin Mother and Father. Any suggestions?"

I'd say that a round two for more of these tasty rolls of bread would be very, very preferable, but as I stared in the general direction of the bakery, I felt my blood run cold.

Like I've said before, my memory of the game was more or less as clear as mud at this point. Which meant that other than some important plot points, some minor tidbits I'd stocked inside my mind and the main characters, I didn't remember shit.

Well, at least I thought I didn't until I saw whom I thought might be freakin' _Validar._

Huh. That name used to be at the tip of my tongue. I guess some memories tend to resurface the moment I see something (or in this case, some _one_ ) resembling them. Food for thought.

Still. _Shit_.

To an outsider's point of view, the man looked nondescript. He wasn't wearing his usual attire—must be in incognito since he wore what I'd call generic villager attire—but there was no mistaking that hair, skin tone, and that lean body build. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be yet aware of us. Which probably meant (I hope) that in this period of time, he wasn't strong enough to sense Robin's presence from afar. I _think_ he could sense people from afar; it was hard to recall if he could.

But I could be wrong. I _could_ have also mistaken someone else for Validar and I was just being paranoid for no good reason. Hell, maybe my memories are screwing with me. I definitely wish that was the case. But just to be sure…

"Hey, wanna see if we've missed any more stalls around the buildings? I'm feeling adventurous." I decided to say, standing up and pointing to the opposite direction of the bakery. I quickly pulled the older girl to her feet before she could even reply, dragging her with me towards the collection of houses that for sure had enough twists and turns (and people) to lose ourselves in.

Thank the gods Mother made sure I learned how to think quickly when pressured.

"Wow, you must really want something to replace your cloak craving with something else." Robin said, stuck with the notion that I was being overeager again. In fact... I decided to put a bounce to my step just to support that assumption. She easily matched my pace, though, so I didn't have a hard time taking her with me as we walked past several houses and a group of chattering ladies. ("The Exalt will be out soon to greet the people, isn't she? I'm glad she didn't end up like her father.")

I looked over my shoulder and shot Robin a toothy grin, a way of disguising my attempt at checking whether we were being followed. So far… no. I must've been moving too quickly. Or I definitely was wrong with my misplaced fear. All the better.

My next step would have to be finding Mother and Father or wait for them by the gates where guards stood on sentry. I'd have to think of a way to convince our parents to leave Ylisstol at the earliest opportunity and at the same time pretend nothing was terribly wrong, but I'll cross that bridge later.

Then again, Mother looked more like she'd rather get out of here and return to the village soon. And now that I thought about it, no wonder she was so worried. Gods, maybe this whole thing was even all my fault because I existed and somehow things started changing in the tiniest of ways and—

"Oof!" I bumped against something hard and fell flat on my butt. Robin, like a domino, fell down with a surprised yelp of her own.

My thoughts couldn't help but spin out of control. No. Nononono. Maybe it _was_ him. Maybe I was delusional when I thought I could lose Validar of all people. I was just a gods damned kid and most likely to be the ant underneath someone's boot and he'd easily shove me aside and take Robin. Hell, he'd kill me without remorse. There was nothing I could do, it was all over now, and… and…

"Are you… okay?" Asked the person who was most definitely not the villain in this storybook called my life. From the deepness of the voice, it was male and someone who might be a couple years older than Robin. I dunno. But sounded vaguely familiar.

My thoughts drew to a halt, I looked up to confirm who it was… and I nearly blanched.

This day seemed to have it out for my poor, poor heart, because lo and behold, I'd bumped into _Chrom_.

What seemed to be a younger version of the Chrom I knew of, anyway. And, okay, I was pretty sure that my heart definitely could go into a cardiac arrest anytime now because apparently, I found the dark blue-haired prince handsome.

But… wait…

"Aren't you supposed to be in the castle?" I asked bluntly. And then my eyes widened because I realized I'd just spoken out of turn to someone of royalty. A hand reflexively flew to cover my mouth as if to stop myself from committing any more atrocities.

Robin snorted from behind me as she stood up, finding my actions hilarious.

And Chrom, he seemed to be more surprised than offended. Ouch, he was looking at me like I was someone he should get away from ASAP. Was he… No way, maybe he'd snuck out to see the sights without supervision because that meant he wouldn't be able to do much of whatever he wanted.

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" He readjusted the hood of his brown cloak—which I just noticed. That basically answered my queries.

I stood up and dusted my dress, thankful that the ground wasn't wet or gods forbid, _muddy_. "Hell, no. I don't tattle unless I needed to exact revenge on someone who pulled a prank on me. You didn't, so you're fine. My hurting backside is completely my fault."

"Sorry about that," Robin said for me, shooting me a look that basically translated to, _I shouldn't be the one doing this_. "My sister has the tendency to keep running when she's looking anywhere but straight."

"What? Nuh-uh," I hastily objected, briefly shooting her a glare before returning my attention to Chrom. "Don't listen to her, she spouts foul lies like a... a witch!" And then Robin bopped me on the head again in reproach. I stuck my tongue out at her before returning my gaze to Chrom sheepishly. "But um… yep. I'm really sorry, Prince Chrom. Won't happen again, I promise."

"It's quite alright," he replied good-naturedly. I think my heart just went _thump_ - _thump,_ because that was one hell of a sweet smile on his face. It totally blew mine out of the water. "I was actually on my way back. And thanks. I don't really want anyone to find out that I've went out without so much as a guard… and that I accidentally broke the wall again." He looked guilty at revealing this tidbit. "On second thought, they're definitely going to find out that I broke something."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It happens to the best of us. The wall thing, I mean. We'll just look the other way and pretend this didn't happen."

Robin made a sound of agreement, stepping to the side to let the prince pass.

He shot the two of us grateful looks before excusing himself and proceeded to hastily take his leave. Or, in my words, to get the fuck out of here before things made a turn for the awkward.

Robin glanced at the retreating back of Chrom before shrugging and turning to me. She pinched my cheek. Hard.

"Oww, hey!"

"And you, the next time something like this happens, you ought to be more polite." My sister scolded. I had no choice but to allow myself to be punished by my elder sister because alas, she was right. But when a thought occurred to me, a sly grin stretched on my lips.

"Okay. But... what do you think? He's cute, isn't he?" I asked, fishing for Robin's opinion of the teenager. My eyes glinted mischievously as I awaited her verdict.

What? I was curious.

Robin decided to release her hold on my cheek and ruffled my hair the same way Father did sometimes. "River, you know we have better things to think about than a boy."

Standard dodge-the-question tactic spotted. There was no mistaking that sparkle in her eye when I mentioned Chrom. Conclusion: oh yes, she definitely did.

For the umpteenth time, I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Well, then. In any case, do you still want to hunt for any more stalls you might be interested in? There could be more games we hadn't tried, too." Robin asked and made no more mention of my topic.

"Um... I dunno, on second thought, maybe we ought to go wait for our parents by the gates." I then said. "I still want to reserve some excitement for later."

"That's settled then. Let's get back, okay? Come on." Robin took my hand this time, easily weaving around the people walking down the street.

Since she was the one in front, I easily chanced a glance over my shoulder; I still couldn't help but feel uneasy after that encounter from earlier. But… no, no one was tailing us after all. So maybe I was just imagining things the same way younger children imagined the boogeyman hiding in their closet.

Still, if anything, today made me realize that I really do need to be prepared for the worst. When we get back, I was so going to start pestering my father about helping me improve physically. I'm sure he knew a few moves that would help in battle that I couldn't prevent. Mother already promised me she'll help broaden my knowledge and my thinking skills, so I was alright in that department.

Yep, I didn't mind that I'll be in for several years of preparation disguised as a younger sister's longing to be more like her elder sibling, the role model. It wouldn't be till much, much later that things would start rolling. But for now, I think I'll enjoy this brief break from the monotony of learning stuff. I'd decided not to mention what I'd seen to Mother; she was worried enough as it is. It was probably a bad course of action, but I didn't really want to ruin everyone's fun.

Besides that, I'll most likely be busy smacking myself out of my little girl crush for Chrom.

* * *

 **Okay, I'm not sure what to think of what I've just written, but I think it's... decent? I don't even know lol. In any case, I deliberately left the whole Validar thing ambiguous. Mostly because I couldn't decide whether an actual appearance without him taking any action would be more or less OOC or I just didn't know how to write the whole thing without messing up if I went down that route. We'll see in later chapters, I guess. Also, ehhh, I have no pairings in mind just yet. The whole crush thing was just a fun idea I had in mind. (And, well, I've never written romance before, so I guess this fanfic will be good practice for it...?)  
**

 **In any case, enjoy, folks! Thanks for the feedback! We're getting close to starting the main game storyline. :D  
**


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

 **-oo-**

Alright… _alright_. I could do this.

"Ready when you are, River," Robin said from the other side of our pretend arena, an empty plot of land at the back of our house. As expected, she held her wooden sword properly: she gripped the hilt principally with her thumb and two fingers, and the rest of her hands curled loosely around it.

Sword-handling lesson number one, after all, was to _never_ grip the sword tightly because it would lead to messy movements and tire out the user faster than I could say checkmate. I would know; too many were the times the lesson was drilled into my mind because I tend to send my weapon flying, if not disarmed because I screwed up at some point. At this point in time, it would take a case of amnesia to forget it.

But despite my better knowledge on sword fighting, I knew I was never going to see myself in a career as a mercenary or a myrmidon someday. Mostly because I've developed a firm belief that swords absolutely hated me. Didn't stop me from keeping up with my training regimen, though. I didn't want to stop what I've started. Never mind if I occasionally had that sweet, sweet urge to stay curled up in bed forever because my entire body felt like it was on fire.

Besides, it was more difficult to halt when I ended up experiencing the perks of owning a physically fit body. For one, I kinda liked the muscles that grown on my arms; I could carry anything used to be too heavy. And because Father made me run everyday laps around the village at the crack of dawn, my stamina had increased significantly.

Hmm, then again, it's been… what? Five years since I started walking down the path to self-improvement. Okay, that probably sounded cheesy. Still, something would be dreadfully wrong with me if I didn't improve at all during that time frame. There was no denying that whatever social life I had shriveled up and died, but as they say, you gotta crack a few eggs if you want to make some omelet.

I had Robin for any conversational needs, anyway.

(On second thought, that might not be a good thing because I felt even more of a recluse.)

"Your head is up in the clouds again," Robin stated amusedly, making me blink slowly and realize that it was. Oops?

"Thank you for dragging it back down to earth, then," I replied cheerily, letting my mind slip away from memory lane and get its ass back to the present. I adjusted my grip on my own toy sword and stepped into a basic stance.

Yep, I think I got it right this time. My leading foot wasn't too far apart from the other, my center of gravity on point, and I doubt I was going to end up toppling over the moment I started moving around. On the other hand, it was kind of sad that I could predict how this sparring session was going to end, regardless.

But at least I tried.

"Ready." I said, nodding.

Robin returned the gesture. A few seconds passed where we circled each other without breaking eye contact, and then—

 _Thwack._

I managed to bring my sword up just in time to block Robin's vertical strike. Without missing a bit, I grunted and pushed her back with enough force to make her lose her footing.

Except that she didn't. She managed to maintain her balance before she could even begin losing it, denying me my window of opportunity. I knew better than to blindly charge at her, so I warily stepped back, awaiting her next move. Fighting with Robin felt more like a game of chess than a straight-up melee. That is to say, one wrong move, and she'll make sure I felt my error in judgment.

"Being on the defensive is all well and good, but you'll need to work on your offense if you want to successfully defend yourself from someone who cracks through it," Robin advised. I didn't manage to shoot back a reply as she pounced at me again.

I wish I could detail every swing, lunge, parry, or counter that was exchanged between the two of us. I wish I could say that the whole spar, at the same time, felt like a thrilling, complicated dance of blades. But after the initial attack, things happened so fast that it was practically a blur. The spar was over in seconds. I only ended up aware of my surroundings again when I'd fallen flat on my butt, the blunt edge of Robin's wooden sword pointed almost directly at the tip of my nose. My sword lay several feet away from me.

There was a playful smile on Robin's face as I stared up at her. I rolled my eyes and returned a bemused smile of my own.

"Alright, you win. I yield. Don't slay the loser, now." It was the only apt thing to say. Except for the last part.

If this was an actual battle and my opponent wasn't my sister, I was pretty sure I'd be completely screwed. It wasn't hard to imagine that I'd sooner find myself beheaded rather than pulled to my feet with a consolation prize in the form of a _You-did-your-best_ sort of shoulder patting.

"One more round?" Robin asked.

"Sure," I replied. "One more for the road."

Round three commenced, and it later ended as epically as the previous one.

"I should have believed you when you said you were terrible with swords. We just did three rounds without you winning a single one," Robin said jokingly as she and I later returned to our house, toy swords in hand.

"I felt that. It's one thing to stab me, dear sister, but to twist the knife, too? You're mean." My voice dripped with mock hurt.

Robin chuckled and bumped her shoulder against mine, though it might have looked a bit awkward because she was now a head taller than me. Five years ago, I was pretty sure we were almost at the same height. "It's not as bad as you think! You lasted longer in that last spar. Not to mention, you blocked all the moves that would have felled you in a real fight—and you only lost because, matter-of-factly, I was just better. So don't think for one moment that you're a lost cause."

"I'm glad to hear that," I replied dryly. When Robin wrapped her arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to her as we walked, I grinned. "But I think I'll just stick to tossing fireballs at the nearest miscreant, thank you. Much more satisfying."

Because I've discovered over the years that I was much more suited to the role of a mage. Nine times out of ten, I could produce flames without chanting the incantations written on the spell tome. Mother made sure I could; she'd trained me so hard that I felt like I was in an honest-to-goodness army. I wasn't a prodigy by any means, but as my mother put it, I was pacing better than the average mage.

Though, that remains to be seen because as far as I knew, my sister and I were the only people in the village who could _do_ magic.

Buuuut, like Robin had mentioned, I definitely wasn't completely hopeless when I needed to get up close and personal with a sword. I lost because Robin had been a tough opponent, a far quicker thinker than me, and because she was leagues better at handling herself in melee combat. Though, her magical prowess was nothing to sneeze at, either. Eh, I was hard-pressed to even choke up a win against her—but I've gotten close at least once.

And I probably just made my sister sound perfect, but nah, she had her flaws too. I was just too busy admiring her better qualities.

The two of us entered through the creaking back door, heading directly upstairs to our shared room for some resting. It's not like we were needed anytime soon. Mother was out buying food in the marketplace, which meant that she wasn't around to bark orders at the two of us. Sweep the floor, help prepare dinner, etcetera. We basically had free time at the moment.

There was also a fair amount of daylight left before twilight. Which was great, because reading books under candlelight wasn't doing our eyes any favors. Right, right, _that_ was what we tend to do these days: stick our noses into books. Robin, a budding tactician, tended to pore over books which mainly discussed war tactics. On the other hand, I gravitated towards our collection of fiction books.

Ain't nothin' like a good book telling the story of a heroine going through a trial by fire and coming out on top. With maybe a romantic interest helping her along the way.

…Fine, so I had a weakness for the sappy.

But today, it seemed like Robin wasn't in the mood for any sort of reading. She'd grown uncharacteristically silent when we settled down in our room. And instead of picking a thick book in the shelf, the seventeen-year-old sister merely remained sitting at the edge of her bed. Judging from the way her eyes seemed to be fixed in one spot—the carpet—she must've been deep in thought.

I didn't realize that I'd ended up staring at her, either. I jumped when she abruptly turned her head towards me.

"River?" I've never seen her looking so serious before.

"Yes, o' sister of mine?"

"I was thinking. You know that we both can't stay here forever, right?"

I nodded. Obviously we wouldn't, and not just because I knew that something big was going to happen sooner or later. I had absolutely no idea what part of the timeline we were at now, but yeah, I doubt we'd stay in one place until our skin began to wrinkle and our hair grayed with age.

"Do you have any plans for the future, then?" Robin asked.

Okay… that wasn't the kind of question I was expecting to hear. Caught me off-guard, more like. I think she already had her own answer, but she seemed to want to know mine first. Probably for… reassurance? Maybe.

But, gah, I couldn't answer that at once.

Never did I foresee that I'd actually end up cornered into the same question again. I swear it all felt like one big déjà vu because I _remembered_ being asked the very same question a lifetime ago. Except that during that time, I was applying for college without any idea as to what I really wanted out of my life. Here, I had a set goal in mind, which could be summed up as _be as ready as possible for the moment when shit hits the proverbial fan_. But beyond that, what _did_ I want?

Several years ago, all Iwanted was to be anything but a damsel in distress. I didn't want to be that girl who stood helplessly in the sidelines while the hero did everything, not when I knew something bad could happen anytime. Rather, I'd wanted to be _that_ girl who could fight alongside that hero, confident and capable. To be a badass, maybe.

Now… eh, I don't know.

There wasn't anything I could do other than be honest with my sister.

"I've never thought about it," I responded sheepishly, putting away the book I'd meant to read earlier. I plopped down on my bed and stared at my sister across me.

Seventeen. That's how old Robin was now, and it showed. Her face wasn't as round as it used to be; it was more defined. Her body, though slender, had definitely shown signs of maturity in areas that could make another girl her age jealous. And lastly, her growth spurt had taken her to a height that never failed to make me think that I was a pipsqueak in comparison.

I mean, I was going through puberty (again) myself, but I think I'm a late bloomer. Looking at a mirror only would only make me end up thinking that for a fifteen-year-old, I still looked very much like a kid. Blargh. Didn't help that I tend to tie my hair into two braids, which enhanced the effect.

Right, and before I end up rambling about the physical differences between the two of us, my main point was this: my sister was at that age when she was feeling more than ready to strike out on her own—hopefully with me tagging along because she knew I'd be lonely without her.

"Oh." Robin looked slightly disappointed at my answer. I guess she was hoping for something better.

"Alright, what are _your_ plans, then?"

Seems like she was waiting for those magic words, and my sister immediately launched herself into an answer that made me feel ambitionless in comparison. Then again, it wasn't as if I had a solid one in the first place.

"Well, I was thinking that I'd want to be a real tactician someday. Not just someone who helps the militia here from time to time. I know that with my situation"—she waved her hand that was riddled with the strange mark—"Mother wouldn't approve of me going my own way. But I don't really want to be in hiding forever—it was already a miracle we got to visit Ylisstol five years ago."

"That's true," I agreed with a nod. That day had been Father's persuasive powers at work. "We don't even know who we're hiding from."

Actually, I did, but shhh. I was being supportive here.

"Exactly. We also could have been found anytime, but so far, nothing has happened. And if I wasn't wrong, Mother had said that this person looking for me—specifically—had no good intentions in mind. I'm not far from assuming that he could be ruthless enough to barrel through every obstacle, not caring if he left a trail of corpses behind." My sister explained.

"What are you getting at, then?" I prompted, knowing she wasn't done.

"I was thinking. No one could hide forever, so it's quite inevitable that I'll be found someday. What better way to be prepared for that by being around an army filled with capable troops? Not only will I be able to end up doing what I've always wanted to do, but I'll also have the advantage of numbers when this pursuer finally confronts me." Robin said.

That was… a calculated way of putting it. Then again, this was Robin I'm talking about here. I wasn't about to question her plans since they've worked out for her most of the time.

"Plus being a tactician for an army pays well, so you're not going to end up hungry," I casually added.

"There's also that, yes."

But then I realized something.

"Wait a minute." I raised a hand. "Where do I come in? I'm hoping that I'm included in that grand plan of yours… am I?"

There was an inscrutable expression in Robin's face as she stared back at my surprised one. After a few seconds, she shook her head. She was almost hesitant to do so.

" _What?_ But… why?" I asked, dumbfounded.

Throughout the years, we were practically joined at the hip. Where Robin went, I went. I'd never gotten the impression that she didn't like having me around—hell, I thought she'd keep on wanting me around. So why the sudden change? And… how come the revelation hurt a lot more than I imagined?

"River, I love you just as I loved Mother and Father. You know that, right?"

The grin on my face felt fake, but I struggled to keep it in place. "I'd be stupid if I didn't. But that hasn't answered my—"

"But the longer this goes on, the more dangerous I feel this situation is. Something has to be done about this. The only way I'll get results is if I start taking action. To form a plan and send it into motion." Robin's eyes slid away from me. When she looked back at me a few seconds later, she looked a bit wistful. "I also want to be by myself, even just for a little while. I never got the impression of having full control of my life, so for once, I want to be the one holding the reigns."

"I'm sorry they made you feel that way. They've only been looking out for you because that's what parents do, silly." It was getting harder to maintain my faux cheery persona. "And… well, you know that I'll support whatever decision you make. But you could at least take me along wherever you're going. Less worry for Mother and Father."

But unfortunately, when Robin was set onto something, one would have difficulty changing her mind. "I can't. Please understand; this has been something I've been thinking of doing for a while now. It's not like I'll be gone forever."

"Pfft, well, temporary can mean months. Or years. You may as well refrain yourself from stating that _we_ can't stay here forever." In my continuous attempt to keep myself from showing any signs of upset, I shrugged. "I don't know. What else do you want me to say? Okay, fine, get on with your journey of self-discovery and be sure to bring back souvenirs? We were _inseparable_ since we were children. And now you're thinking of leaving without me. The revelation, dear sister, is making it harder for me to keep smiling."

A flash of guilt appeared on Robin's face as my words practically punched her in the gut.

I took a deep breath and tried holding back the tears that welled in my eyes. Robin was thinking of leaving me behind. She wanted to, and it _hurt_. "Your decision—it's hard to accept at once. I meant what I said that as your sister, I'll support you. But at the end of the day, I don't want you to go. Because you're being stupid and you don't need to do this alone. If it weren't for you, I would never be where I am now. You were there for me, and I wish I could do the same for you in the future."

She was the best sister I could ever ask her. She was my best friend, my confidante, my partner-in-crime. And soon, she'll be gone. I wish I could treat this situation with the kind of detachment that came with being a person from a different world, but I couldn't. Robin was someone I grew up with, and as far as anyone was concerned, she'd been a part of my life since day one.

Gods. So far, I was keeping myself together. But other than feeling immensely sad because I was going to be left behind, there was one other thing that kept nipping at me. This strange feeling gave me the impression that the moment she stepped out of this door, she'll be gone forever. (And why is that? Am I missing something?)

Robin sighed, standing up from her bed. She easily crossed the gap between us and enveloped me into an embrace.

"It's going to be really hard on both sides, I know. But I just want to end up fixing this whole mess without endangering all of you. You, most of all. You deserve to be free of the kind of burden you've been helping me carry my entire life, don't you think?"

"But I… I…" I struggled to find the right words that would make it sound like I was chillaxed about this whole thing. But I couldn't. After several attempts, the most I could choke out was, "You are so unfair."

I couldn't keep smiling anymore. Despite understanding her to a degree, I _sobbed_ against her chest.

"I'm sorry. I'll be back before you know it. It'll be okay." Robin whispered as she soothingly patted me in the back. "And I'm even more sorry if I'm not going to tell you when I plan on doing this. Knowing you, you'll find a way to stop me."

"D-damn straight I will," I shakily said between sniffs. "Robin, I love you too, but… forgive me if I think you're a nasty witch for doing this."

"A bitch, you mean. You don't need to hold back, you know." Robin let go of me and with a tentative smile, patted me on the head. The last time she did this, I was ten. I shot her a weak glare and looked away, furiously wiping my eyes.

"Gods, I don't know whether to be piss-mad at you or to continually bawl my eyes out because _that_ was the lowest blow I've ever received." I muttered. When I finally looked back at Robin, I noticed that she'd been struggling to keep herself from crying, too. I gave her a wobbly smile. "You know what, if you think that's the best for you, then fine. I won't stop you. I don't like your decision _at all_ , but I don't have a choice but to suck it up and accept it, right? All I could do is wish you a safe journey, whenever that is."

Deep inside, I knew that something would cause Robin to end up somewhere that would kick-start her journey with Prince Chrom and his army. Well, except that I _still_ couldn't realize what I was missing here. It felt important, but I couldn't place a finger on it. I just didn't realize that the trigger would be _this_.

And… it's not like I planned on staying put and leave her to do all the adventuring, anyway. I just couldn't stop myself from being upset at her revelation, that's all. Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself. If I said it often enough, I'll believe it.

I sniffed one last time and said no more. My sister, as her way of distracting herself, moved on to retrieve the book she meant to read earlier. She flipped it open to a certain page she'd stopped reading from yesterday.

My motivation to read any book gone, I laid down on my bed and turned towards the wall with my body all curled up like a fetus.

I wasn't sure whether I'd been scheming too much (because like it or not, I was going to tail Robin when she left) or I was finally hit by fatigue from today's events, but somehow I ended up drifting into sleep and didn't wake up until Mother was calling the two of us from downstairs.

Dinner had been an unusually silent affair.

-oo-

When Mother barged into our room the morning after, pushing the door open so hard it banged loudly against the wall, it didn't take much time for my fuzzy mind to realize that something was wrong.

That, and the loud sound shocked me into wakefulness. I nearly fell off my bed in a heap when I jolted awake from the sound. When I finally got my bearings straight, I watched my Mother worriedly peer around the small, rectangular room. I yawned and untangled myself from my blankets and followed where her gaze had settled. Normally, looking at someone's bed wouldn't be much cause for alarm. But then…

The bed had a noticeable lack of a white-blond seventeen-year-old girl.

 _Robin was gone._

"Maybe Robin's out for a walk, Mother." I offered weakly, feeling my stomach flip uncomfortably as yesterday's conversation came into memory. At the same time, I couldn't help but think that, oh, this was so _typical_ of my sister. She had me thinking that she wouldn't be running away the next day but sometime in the near future. But in actuality, she went with the former.

My mother couldn't prevent herself from cussing under her breath as she had no choice but to confirm that my sister wasn't in my room, either. She turned towards me, staring at my speechless self so hard I had the impression that she could see through my soul. Mothers seem to have that uncanny ability when it came to their children.

"She's nowhere to be found. I checked."

"No farewell letters or anything?"

"No."

"Typical."

I tried to keep my face blank as the remaining traces of sleepiness faded away from my face. Just one shift in expression, and Mother would find out—

"Alright, where did she go?" Mother firmly asked, denying me an opportunity to lie through my teeth. Not that it was a good idea in the first place.

I tried not to wince as her eyes narrowed at me in suspicion. "I… uh, you see…"

Well, shit. I was screwed beyond hope. Even the sturdiest of alibis never convinced my mother, and even if divine intervention occurred and she believed one of them, the fact that Robin won't be back the next day would be a glaring flaw.

Gods, the very thought of Robin being gone was a stab in the heart.

Robin, the sister I idolized. Gone like the wind.

"Young lady, you will spit it out this instant." It didn't help that my Mother looked pained at the truth that she was trying to deny the entire morning.

She waited for my answer. I continued trying to find the proper words to _explain_ what my sister just did. It didn't take long before the pressure was too much and...

"I don't know!" I blurted out. My thoughts were reeling too much that I just wanted to curl up and cry. "She didn't seem to have a location in mind, just that she wanted to get out of here and fix this whole mess she'd been enduring her entire life. She also wanted to be a true, blue tactician, there's that too. So I don't know. I don't _know_ , this is all my fault—I should have stopped her. Now she's gone on some suicide mission and she didn't even take me along and... and..." I smacked my fist down on the mattress. "Damn it!"

Mother's face lost a bit of its edge as she watched me keep myself from breaking down. When I felt her hand on my shoulder, I took a deep, shaky breath. "Alright, honey. I'm sorry; I was being too hard on you. This isn't your fault."

"But it _was_. Don't you see? I let her go. Willingly." I murmured.

"No, River. If anything, the fault was mine to begin with. Now breathe, and explain it again. I won't explode, I promise."

I obeyed her and relayed everything I remembered from yesterday.

Mother's face set into a grim countenance the moment I finished. "I was afraid this would happen."

"Yes, well, pardon me, Mother, but some tricks aren't meant to work forever. Please don't ask how I knew—it was obvious," I said. Mother knew the right words to say to keep her eldest daughter reigned in, as well as ensure that she never grew an urge to run off. My sister had to have inherited her strategic thinking from _someone_.

"I'm afraid you're right... this is all my fault. Gods, if that man finds Robin—he's too strong for her, no matter how much I've trained her to be ready to fight him once he finds her." She said, clearly having Validar in mind but deciding not to mention the specifics to me. She began pacing around the room, thinking of how she was to rectify this whole thing.

Just looking at her weary face made my heart sink. Never mind if I didn't approve the way she'd more or less manipulated my sister into staying here; all she wanted was to keep Robin safe. But for things to come to _this…_ Mother was doing a good job of not breaking down, but even the sturdiest of walls would inevitably collapse.

Damn it. And on my side, Robin's unannounced departure reeked of bad omens. Omens that I still couldn't put a finger on. What the _fuck_ was I missing?

Whatever it was, I knew I had to do something.

"I'll go after her," I then said, making Mother pause and stare at me incredulously.

"River—"

"I know what you're going to say. It's dangerous, I'm in over my head, etcetera, etcetera. And for all my training, I may not be ready for what awaits me outside. But _I don't care_. I'm getting my sister back." I stood up from my bed and all but marched to my closet.

At least Robin had the sense to pack extra clothes; the pile of clothes were noticeably diminished. Anyway. I needed to get my travelling attire…

Aha. I pulled out a pair of thick, black stockings, a turtleneck plum dress with long, loose sleeves, and a black corset. I tossed them into the nearby bed and searched for the last piece that completed the ensemble—oh. Here it was, neatly folded in the corner.

Tears nearly welled up in my eyes as I fondly regarded the velvety, scarlet cloak I held before me. Robin gifted me this for my fourteenth birthday, and I'd been so happy I tackled the older girl into a hug and profusely thanked her for several days after.

I only wore this for special occasions—but right now, I was willing to make an exception.

"It's far more dangerous than you think!" Mother objected as I didn't hesitate to slip out of my nightdress and pull on my dress. "River, it's too late. The most we can do is hope for the best. Even I can't stand against hi—Validar. Yes, _Validar_. That's his name. He's powerful, he's fanatical, ruthless… and if you die because you were in his way, I will never forgive myself. So please. Listen to me. _Stay_."

I paused from pulling the stockings up my legs and put on a brave face. "And _I'll_ never forgive myself if my big sister ends up falling into his hands because I didn't do anything. I'm sorry, Mother. Call me a brat or foolhardy or whatever, I'm not reconsidering this."

As I dressed up, I tried ignoring the way my stomach flipped at the sniff that escaped from my mother. _I made her cry_.

After I tied my hair into two braids behind me, I fastened on my cloak. Then I smiled bravely at Mother, even though my eyes were shining at the onset of tears I still tried to hold back.

The woman wiped her eyes and resigned herself to the fact that I wasn't budging from my decision. She knew perfectly well that she couldn't trap me into staying—I knew her every trick by now. So, all she could do as I readied myself for departure was help tie the lace of my corset. She later finished with a neat ribbon in the middle.

"You're so much like your Father, you know?" Mother later pierced the silence between us as she pulled me into an embrace. I've been getting a lot of those lately, I noticed. "Stubborn, bullheaded… but with a good heart."

Speaking of hearts, mine warmed up at that.

"Oh, and about him… Tell Father what I plan on doing, yeah? And that I'm sorry I was doing this." I said as I stepped back. I then picked up my leather traveling boots under the bed and shoved my feet into them. More lace-tying commenced.

"I will, but _only_ if you promise that you'll come back with your sister in one piece." Mother said, more like commanded. She crossed her arms and nodded as she found my appearance acceptable. Then she sighed. "I still don't like this, but you'd sooner fight me if I tried stopping you from leaving. The least I can do now is hope you have a safe journey."

"It's not like I won't be writing," I replied. I pulled out my backpack from the chest at the foot of my bed, proceeding to fill it with my traveling necessities—my spell tomes, most importantly. "I'll find Robin, drag her sorry butt back with me, and you can talk our ears off afterward and tell me how we're being bad daughters."

The both of us descended to the lower level of the house, and I went straight to the kitchen to retrieve my waterskin as Mother waited for me to complete everything I needed.

…Alright, that's everything. Finished, I headed towards the door, where Mother stood waiting.

"Everything all set?" Mother asked. I nodded at her and nearly squirmed when she kissed my forehead. "Good. I suppose it's inevitable that my children have to go out on their own eventually. All I can do now is be brave. Come back soon, do you hear me?"

I shot her my confident smile. "I will. In any case, I'll get going now. The more ground I cover today, the higher the chance I'll find Robin. She can't have gotten that far yet."

"You… you do that."

I gave my mother one last hug before I turned and broke off into a jog, heading towards the village gates. It was still early in the morning, so there weren't that much people around. But then, what was I expecting, a crowd of people seeing me off? Nah, stuff like that would just be a fantasy. Besides, no one was aware that I was leaving—and if they were, it's not like tears were going to be shed. I was a familiar face around the village, but I was hardly more than that.

A gentle breeze blew against me as I emerged into the outside. It was as if Mother Nature was saying that things were going to be fine, I was going to be alright, and this will be over before I knew it.

But no, it won't be.

It would be a long time before I could return here.

* * *

 **I have no idea how, but I ended up with yet another long chapter. And... yep, it's probably not obvious, but is kind of the first time I'm writing scenes like this, so I'm in a bit of an experimental stage and am thus not surprised if this isn't to everyone's liking. In annnyyy case, thanks for sticking with me!  
**

 **Oh, and I'd like to thank SelfInsertLover for the review (because I can't PM anons)! It's really encouraging to hear that, and a good deal of a self-esteem booster. :D And, of course, thank you very much to the rest, as well. You guys deserve all the hugs you can get.**

 **And... yep, things are finally gonna get rolling.**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

 **-oo-**

It wasn't until two hours later—when my emotions finally settled down into a comfortable level—that I realized my grand purpose of finding my sister at once might not have been my best course of action. Whatever resolve I initially possessed had pretty much evaporated into the air by now.

I'm just going to lay out all the cards on the table: I had just left home with absolutely no idea where to start looking for Robin. Think about it; my sister could be anywhere by now, whether she ran away at an extremely early time or not, and I struck out without even thinking of the most logical place that she would travel towards so she could jump-start her big, big quest. Thinking of visiting the surrounding villages first hardly qualified as a good idea because it wasted time. And if I spared myself one moment of clarity, I could have had Mother's help in crossing out the least likely locations my sister would be located in.

Well, it's too late for that now.

Though, it wasn't until after I'd visited my first village that I realized I could have made my way towards Ylisstol. Or for that matter, towards any similarly large city not located in Plegia. It would've been better to start there and plot my next move since those were the likeliest of places for tacticians to be even remotely in-demand.

In fact I'd only ended up more convinced that _that_ was an even better idea after this particular… event.

See, the visit to this aforementioned village had ended in a note sour enough that I might as well be a lemon. I'd poked my head in there—and, by the way, it took me forty-five minutes of non-stop walking before I reached civilization—only to find that, no, the village folks had seen neither hide nor hair of a white-blond-haired teenager yea tall who tended to carry around with her a journal… logbook… thing eighty-five percent of the time. They said that I'll probably have better luck searching in Ylisstol instead of a backwater location like this. And I thought that, yeah, I ought to take them up on their suggestion.

…After I visited another village.

If only it ended there.

But noooo, it didn't. Rather than getting to leave in enough of a hopeful mood to try again on the next village over, I had the pleasure of being rudely told by some others to "go back home and wait for this Robin to come back, little girl" instead of bothering good, hardworking peoplelike them. I swear that had been enough to kill off my motivation because I wasn't in a decent enough mood to deal with shit like that the next time.

Instead of stooping to their level, though, I'd taken a deep breath, beamed and sweetly said that if "good, hardworking people" equated to bums like them lazing about and complaining about the heat, then may they never reproduce because stupidity was a genetic trait that should be passed down to no one.

And _then_ I hightailed it out of there before my words could even register in their tiny little minds.

Really, today was living, breathing proof that being anywhere _but_ Ylisstol at this moment was the worst thing ever. Because, right now, I swear I did _not_ want to spend another second out here in the great outdoors.

It was windless and hot as a furnace, I felt really, really alone and the rocks and flowers made for boring company, and the damn trees didn't look big or leafy enough to provide me a suitable cover from the angry, afternoon sun. My waterskin was half-empty (or half-full, but I wasn't feeling pretty optimistic right now), and I was hungry for food that I _bloody forgot to pack_.

Ironically enough, the temporary break I've taken in the purpose of stopping and thinking felt more exhausting than remaining continuously on the move.

And to make things worse, I also wanted my sister back. More than ever.

Gods. Screw this day. And the next, because it'll probably be as bad as today.

I could see the silhouette of a town in the distance, though. That might be the only good thing right now because I could use a chair, a roof under my head, maybe some bread too—

 _I could see the silhouette of a town_.

I blinked and confirmed that it _was_ oneand not a heat-induced hallucination. In response, my stomach rumbled at the possibility of being filled up with delicious food. My almost-dry throat reminded me of how I've been rationing my water and that I needed to drink more liquids in order to stay hydrated under the heat of the sun. And the rest of my body? They were urging me to get the fuck out of here and sprint towards that place posthaste.

Hell, the town didn't even look that far. I think I could make it there in half an hour or less. Not a depressing distance at all, especially when I had more than enough stamina (and iron will) to make the trip. The idea of doing even more walking wasn't making me cry in despair, either—I was way past making that sort of complaint. I'd sooner shed tears over the way I'd pushed myself in my daily exercises.

So… this shouldn't be a dreadful trip. My Robin search would have to be put on hold; I wasn't about to lose all sense and prioritize looking for her over keeping myself healthy and at the top of my game.

I mean, I was still very, very apprehensive about today and I still couldn't figure out why. But, I knew my sister would whack me on the head if she found out that I nearly died of starvation or thirst (or sickness) because I ignored myself and focused on her. In fact…

"There has to be a line somewhere," I could imagine her saying. "If you don't discover where, I'm taking your birthday gift of a cloak back."

…Gods, I miss my sister already.

Anyway. Can't think about that now lest I want to be sad again; numb is better. Moving, moving, gotta get moving.

Without wasting another second, I stood up from the grassy spot I'd been resting on. I rolled my shoulders, inhaled and exhaled deeply, and began marching towards the town with the most determined expression I could muster.

-oo-

"For someone who should be content after eating that much food, you look quite blue."

"Muh?" came my intelligent reply.

I blinked slowly and realized that a serving girl was standing before my table. For a moment, I felt nothing but confusion. But as I took note of the large, empty plate before me and the three empty glasses of water, not to mention the chatters coming from everyone else around the tavern… "Oh, gods. I didn't forget to pay my tab, have I? I'm so, sooo sorry—I'm just not at my best today."

She ended up giggling, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. With her simple dress, her blonde, messy hair bun, and her plain face, she wasn't much of a looker. But somehow the smile stretching on her lips managed to edge her towards the pretty side.

"You clearly aren't, milady. That's quite alright. Fortunately, we Southtown folk aren't strangers to adventurers like you." She easily said. "We get you sad types from time to time. Usually a good meal's enough to loosen that frown a bit… Oh! And you're fine—you've already paid for everything before you ate."

A sheepish, embarrassed smile crossed my features as I looked up at her. "You're right. I did. Ahaha… Sorry about that. Again. I just had a lot of things in mind, that's all."

Plenty enough things that I nearly forgot that this town was called Southtown, for one. And that Ylisstol should be to the north of here—I've remembered asking about that earlier, at least.

I must've been much more out of it than I thought if the only things my mind was filled with earlier was finding Robin, getting food and water, and taking shelter from the sun as soon as I entered the town. If the girl before me hadn't snapped me out of my deep thoughts, I might have forgotten that strange, I-feel-like-I've-been-here before sensation that greeted me when I briefly took in the sights of the town several minutes ago, too.

That had been odd.

"So, care to share what's eating you? People say I've got quite the listening ear, so you'll be alright with me."

I looked down and furrowed my brow, considering the offer. It wasn't like the whole matter was top secret, though quite personal in nature and painful to remember. I don't think I'm the hide-it-all-deep-inside sort of person, either, so I think I wouldn't have trouble sharing something to someone who would probably forget it in a few days' time, anyway. Didn't people say that letting it all out instead of bottling it in was healthier or something?

In any case, I looked up, gave the girl a shrug and told her the condensed version of today and yesterday's events.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Fortunately or unfortunately, our small conversation—on second thought, make that _everyone_ ' _s_ conversations—was cut short as we heard loud crashes and panicked yells from outside. Yells that quickly went quiet, as if the people whom those originated from were slain before they could even think of running for help…

They were sounds I wasn't unfamiliar with. To some people, they weren't, either, because they immediately ran out of here without a second thought.

And the smell of smoke wafting through the open windows? They weren't new, either.

How many times in my entire life had I experienced a bandit attack?

"I think you'll want to start hiding now." I told the serving girl, who looked to be growing paler by the second as she realized what was going to happen here, soon. She hastily obeyed and fled to the upper floor.

That done, I quickly grabbed ahold of the backpack I'd placed beside me, opening it and pulling out an Elwind tome. My hands nearly shook as I did so, and when I was sure the thing wasn't going to slip from my fingers, I steeled myself for the inevitable appearance of those bastards by the tavern entrance.

As for the remaining folks who seemed to have frozen in their seats… well, they seemed to be a mixture of confusion, fear, and apprehension. None knew what to do—that is, except for one man who finally stood up and bolted towards the doorway.

He'd barely managed to make two steps out of here before a hand axe embedded itself on his chest. The force of the impact caused him to hit the wall and crash to the ground. For a moment, confusion filled his features. He slowly looked down to see what had hit him, and his fingers managed to numbly graze the sharp blade's surface before he finally exhaled his last.

Many gasps and panicked noises erupted throughout the tavern. After that horrific sight, however, no one wanted to run.

"Screw me with a cactus, because this day certainly turned up for the _better_." I couldn't help but mutter to myself. Letting out a sigh, I got up from my chair. I stepped away from the table and placed myself directly adjacent to the doorway. Any other angle would have made the remaining civilians collateral damage should I cast my spells.

I watched a burly-looking bandit finally enter with a smirk on his face. Gods, he reminded me of an Orc from the storybooks I've read as a kid; he looked positively nasty—and smelly, ugh. Said bandit stopped before the corpse on the ground, regarding the thing with dark amusement before he pulled out the embedded weapon without any difficulty.

I couldn't help but think of how hard that usually was because plunging anything deep into the bone took just as much strength to pull it out.

"So," the man began with an ugly, toothed grin on his face. I narrowed my eyes at the him as his eyes briefly met mine before sliding them towards the stunned tavern-goers. "I'm gonna assume that you idiots already know what's happening next. So go on, give them all up—coins, gemstones, anything of value." After seeing everyone's frozen expressions, his grin grew even more crooked. I bet his breath stank like moldy cheese. "And if you don't, that's fine. The boys'll be coming here soon to torch this place, as well."

"Hand over our stuff to someone who hasn't heard of a bath? Why, I'd sooner jump off a cliff."

It took a second to realize that the voice belonged to me. It took another to realize that that was some nerve of steel I got right there.

My heartbeat sped up as I coolly stared down the bandit easily twice my size, a smile just as frosty etched across my face. A big part of me knew that a provocation was the worst course of action against someone who could easily cleave me into two, but an even bigger part found itself strangely awed at how much bravado I possessed the moment I opened my mouth.

I mean, I should be afraid because I was facing a gods-damned bandit _alone_ for the first time, right? There was no Mother, Father, or Robin to help me squirm out of a tight spot. Not like before. I _should_ also be nervous because I knew there wasn't just one bandit attacking the town. That the moment this one goes down, two would replace him.

But… I strangely wasn't. My heart rapidly beat due to the anticipation of a fight happening soon.

The bandit took one good look at me before snorting and guffawing. I felt the left side of my lips twitch at the way he easily dismissed me.

"You, a little girl, think you can stand up against me. _You_. If you're not aware yet, kid, you're a big joke." He said a few seconds later. At my unwavering stare, he shook his head and turned towards the rest of the civilians inside. "I'm not gonna repeat this: give up everything, or die like this fool on the floor. Hell, at this rate, I might as well kill all of you anyway. Should've done so from the start. Don't worry, it's nothing personal, Ylisseans. Just gotta repay the debt your previous, _precious_ Exalt left behind."

That was strangely informative, all thoughts of bandits being stupid aside. Call be evil for this, but if I were a detestable, smelly brigand with a thirst for revenge after Ylisse's controversial crusade on Plegia ended fifteen years ago—my Mother had told it to Robin and I as part of our history lesson—I'd have skipped any dialogue and started the massacre the moment I entered. Shock and awe.

Nevertheless, I shrunk back and eyed my backpack, as if to reconsider my misplaced bravado.

The bastard looked smug when he thought I was giving up.

But then I dropped the act, stared back at him, gave him a rude hand gesture, and flipped my tome open.

"Sorry, but I'm not about to let that happen. Like you said, _nothing personal_." I said. And in a louder voice, "Elwind!"

My spell was cast before the man could even react—and I think I might have overdone it. He never got the chance to throw his hand axe at my head; he'd been sent flying outside by the force of the light-green magical energy slamming against him, gale-force winds slashing through his body like razor-sharp knives at the same time.

I watched his body crash into a stall, reducing the thing into a mess of crushed fruit and wooden splinters.

He did not get up after that.

"Whelp, I'd say that was a critical hit. Gods, but you are annoying." I muttered under my breath as I trudged towards the door. I took a wary peek outside to assess the situation.

Well, glad to know that we were better off here than inside the other buildings. The tavern was only structure in this side of town, standing in the western part of what I figured was this town's marketplace. The other buildings on the other side already had columns of smoke rising up in the air, which indicated that the bandits begun their attack there before they proceeded to damage this side. Must've been understaffed enough that they couldn't spread out.

And speaking of bandits, I couldn't see any more of the fallen man's (or should I say, _asshole_ ) friends from here. But I knew they would come swarming in anytime soon because it was impossible _not_ to have heard the commotion. My attack hadn't exactly been discreet.

Which means I needed to get my butt out of here before I was cornered.

"Nobody touch my stuff, please." I said to the still-stunned tavern-goers. "I'm coming back for that later. Oh and…" I struggled for the right words to say to a bunch of frightened civilians. "Right. If you get the chance of escaping towards the gate unnoticed, take it. These guys look like they want to burn everything to the ground… which kind of invalidates my request, come to think of it. Whatever. Just run when you can, 'kay?"

And I was off.

I broke into a sprint towards an ideal hiding spot to take account of the total amount of bandits—

And someone ended up crashing into me the moment I darted out of the building, sending the both of us sprawling to the ground. Ow. My tome went flying, and I heard the telltale clangs of a dropped weapon at the same time.

I didn't pause to think of saying anything to whoever struck me down, immediately crawling for my tome several feet away. I could have bumped into a bandit, for heaven's sake. So just to be safe, I quickly snatched the object, stood up, whirled around, and raised my right hand, tingling with magical energy waiting to be released…

Only to find the tip of a sword pointed straight at my chest.

I paused. And nearly forgot to breathe. I slowly slid my eyes away from the weapon and into the person holding the sword.

Then I gasped, hastily lowering my hand and my tome.

"Prince Chrom!"

No, seriously.

It was really him.

There was no mistaking the Brand of the Exalt in his upper arm, the mark that distinguished the descendants of the first Exalt from the common rabble. And, well, I don't recall meeting any other person with hair as dark blue as his, either. And last I checked, hair dyes weren't much of a trend. Though, he'd definitely grown much taller than the last time I saw him. Not to mention more handso—wait, _wait_. What? No. Shut up. I shouldn't be thinking about that now.

The prince blinked in confusion as he regarded the familiar, almost respectful way I referred to him. He didn't relax his sword arm just yet, though, sensibly evaluating me because I could be his ally or his downfall. There were no signs of recognition on his face.

To be fair, I never had any expectations of him remembering a ten-year-old girl who bumped into him five years ago while he was walking around Ylisstol, unsupervised. We never exchanged names, didn't stop to chat, and we parted ways before any of those could even happen. I was just another random face in the crowd, one he'd be more wary of because all I needed to do was approach a guard and tell him of the Exalt's brother running around town without a guard.

"You're not one of them, then?" He finally asked as I remained as non-threatening as I could be.

I shook my head.

"But I can mimic a Plegian accent if I tried hard enough, your Highness," I then added. Dryly. I couldn't help myself.

…Gods, Robin had been right when she said I needed to introduce my foot to my mouth sometime.

When he decided that I was more or less neutral, if not an ally, he lowered his sword. I finally managed to breathe easy as he did so. Maybe giving him a tentative smile wasn't such a bad idea right now. I could use some brownie points.

"Milord!" Someone shouted in the distance before Chrom could open his mouth. The distant voice was accompanied by the sounds of galloping, getting louder and louder until the source stopped right before the two of us.

"Frederick," Chrom nodded at the heavily-armored knight atop his steed. "No more enemies?"

"In this part of town, seemingly none. But I would still advise caution."

"...Of course you'd say that."

"Also, I am well aware that there was a need to find out what caused that bandit to fly into that stall, but you should not have charged off like that, not without support," the brown-haired man, Frederick, scolded. When he realized that I was staring at him and Chrom, slightly wide-eyed, he directed his attention towards me. Gods, there was a certain intensity to his gaze. "And who is this?"

"The person who sent the aforementioned bandit soaring like an eagle." I replied bluntly. Remembering my manners, I gave the two of them a hasty curtsey. "My name is River, for future reference. Yes, not exactly the prettiest of names, but I digress. The two of you are here to rid Southtown of these pesky bandits, right? Because I'd want nothing more than to kick their butts into the next millennium."

"There are four of us, in actuality. They'll be along soon after one gets healed of her injuries. But to answer your question, indeed, we are," Frederick said. His gaze, bordering on suspicious, hadn't changed a bit. "However, something about you concerns me: how are we sure that you're not about to stab us all in the back once this whole thing is over? Ylissean you may sound, but in all appearances, you seem Plegian."

A conversation on stupid stereotypes was _not_ something I'd want to have in the middle of a bandit raid.

Also, that was as good as an insult.

"Peace, Frederick. She seems sincere," Chrom then said before I could shoot the offending knight an indignant reply. "An outsider wouldn't have referred to me as 'your Highness' or 'Prince' with respect. Though, River, I'd rather you call me Chrom. We're all equals in the battlefield."

"True, I suppose, and I'm not about to argue with a prince." I said before Frederick could reply. My next words were more or less directed at the knight. "In any case, Sir Frederick, you can do all your interrogating later. We've got bandits to deal with, don't we? You'll have to make do with my promise that I'll do nothing untoward."

Frederick didn't seem to be entirely convinced, but he decided to mind the bigger problem at hand and nodded.

And for once, the universe seemed to agree on giving me a chance to prove myself. Because, apparently, this area wasn't completely swept clean of brigands. Two had finally come running towards where the three of us stood, enraged and continuously shouting about their fallen friend. Their axes were already brandished.

Idiots.

I rolled my eyes, opened by tome, and aimed another Elwind spell directly at the two charging men. Making spells affect a larger area (in this case, more than one person) weakened them and wore my tome out faster, but all I needed to do at the moment was make things easier for Chrom and Frederick. Which was a success as the two men took the opportunity to cut down the two reeling brigands before they recovered.

I gave Frederick a one-sided smile and turned away before I could see his reaction.

After that, it didn't take long before two girls stopped before us.

First there was Lissa, whom I know of as the sister of Chrom and Emmeryn, the current Exalt of Ylisse. The cute, blonde, pigtailed healer greeted Chrom and Frederick with a cheery smile, and when I got introduced to her, she gave me an even brighter one. I was willing to bet all my savings that the warm reception had something to do with meeting someone who was her age. So… yeah, was absolutely no way that I'd end up hating her. She was just so, so nice. I also liked her hair.

And then there was…

 _Robin._

Oh. That was right, of course she'd end up in Chrom's band. I still remembered that much, just that I didn't realize that the day she left would also be the day she'd end up with them. But then came my big question once more: There was something big I'm missing here, but what was it, and why did it continually remain at the tip of my tongue?

Regardless, the moment I saw her, I almost wanted to hug her then and there. And cry. A lot. But her posture and her expression dictated that she was in serious tactician mode. That meant I had to stay put and stay… well, professional. More or less. And I did. What really bothered me, though, was the fact that she didn't seem to recognize me.

I mean, she looked at me with a slight smile and a nod as Chrom proceeded to introduce me to her. It shouldn't seem out of the ordinary, at least until I noticed the lack of familiar warmth in her eyes. Like I was a total stranger…

No. Maybe she was saving the big reveal for later, once we were out of this whole mess. Stave off suspicion and keep all our heads in the game. Or maybe she was just giving me her version of the cold shoulder because I went off and followed her when she didn't want me to. Yeah… that was probably it. She'll warm up later.

Still, the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach didn't settle.

"Chrom," Robin then said. "If I'm not mistaken, there should be only three bandits remaining by the church, and they're trying—and still failing—to break down the doors. I think we've already wiped out the rest, including the one that River had felled, and the most recent ones that you three dealt with."

"So who's left then?" I asked.

"A mage, a myrmidon, and a barbarian who appears to be the leader. He obviously looks stronger than the rest."

"I see," Chrom said, leading our small group as we made our way north to the aforementioned church. "I take it you scouted a bit before following Frederick and I?"

"She did!" Lissa cut in. "I _knew_ it was a good thing to let her stay and help. You should have seen her in action too, River." I perked up when Lissa suddenly referred to me. "She's like, really, really good with blades, sorcery, _and_ tactics. I don't think I've met someone like her before."

"She's definitely been a good asset to the group so far," Chrom agreed.

"I actually know a bit of sword fighting, myself," I admitted sheepishly. "But I can't be trusted to hold onto a sword for extended fights, so I'd rather stick with magic, thanks. But I think I can imagine Robin moving around, shooting lightning, winning a battle of the minds, and cutting down all her foes with relative ease. People like her are one of a kind."

"I'm frankly more surprised that I could do all three of those." Robin said in a show of modesty. Which confused me, because for a moment she'd stated it like she wasn't normally able to. But she did, and I _knew_. "In any case, once we deal with those three, it's all over. So this is how it's going to go: River and I will make sure that the mage's spells are focused on us. You have some resiliency against magical attacks too, right?" I nodded at the question, though I couldn't help but eye her uncertainly as she turned to the prince. "Chrom, you'll deal with the myrmidon, and Frederick will keep the leader busy until at least one of us can join in to help finish him off. And Lissa? Stay in a safe distance as much a possible; only come close if one of us needs healing."

"Got it!" Lissa nodded.

After everyone—including me—agreed to the plan, we immediately set off towards the northern part of town where the church was located.

-oo-

When the whole thing finally ended, I think the bandit leader suffered an overkill.

Because not only was he sufficiently speared by Frederick, he was also cut, stabbed, and fried by both swords and magic. The mage Robin and I tag-teamed had gone down with extreme ease—mostly because I knew how to fight around Robin, knowing her movements and all—and Chrom had managed to fell his myrmidon a few seconds after.

Our respective fights hadn't taken long, basically. There was still a hefty piece of bandit to share around the rest of the band.

"And… there!" Lissa said as the glow of her healing magic faded from my cheek, revealing repaired skin that used to be a big, nasty cut.

"If there's any feeling worse than getting wounds, it's feeling them stitch together at an insane rate." I said, rubbing my face. Then I smiled. "Anyway. Thanks, Lissa. You are awesome."

"No problem! Happy to help." She chirped happily.

We exchanged grins before I ambled towards Chrom, Frederick, and Robin, who had been in a conversation while Lissa dealt with my wounds.

"…Milord, are you sure? Robin has shown that she is an extremely skilled individual, but I still can't find myself convinced of her claims that she cannot recall how she came to be here." Frederick said to Chrom.

"I'd say she's Shepherd material, Frederick. Besides, she followed us and helped fight to save Ylissean lives. She had the choice to walk away. So if risking her life wasn't enough, I don't know what will be." Chrom replied, making Robin look at him gratefully.

Hearing about Frederick talk about my sister like that didn't make me feel any better.

"And," I decided to smoothly cut in, having enough context of what they were talking about. "The more, the merrier, don't you think? I mean, I know we've been having a lot of attacks lately from our friendly neighbor in the west—I'm not ignorant of what's been happening 'round these parts. And that the Plegian accent is hard to miss." I coughed. "Anyway, what I'm saying is, the more help you guys get, the easier it will be to handle all these bandits or whatever bands enjoy causing chaos."

"Is this your way of saying that you wish to join as well, then?" Frederick questioned. At my unwavering grin, his eyes narrowed at me with the same air of suspicion from before. "If so, I trust that you've no ill intentions towards both the prince and the princess. And there is also the matter of you promising to explain yourself..."

Oh. Right.

"Well, first and foremost, I'm thankful that you've given me the benefit of the doubt. I don't really have a choice but to _be_ insulted if you kept up the whole Plegian thing. Doubly so when I've helped you guys out because I _hate_ bandits. So yep, with all due respect, I'm an Ylissean born and raised. And I assure you that I'm not a fan of evil dragons, either." I crossed my arms. "I also happen to live down south. Around three to four hours from here, depending on how fast one can walk. So I hope that eases your paranoia even a smidge."

"I'm merely looking out for the prince and princess—"

"Which is perfectly understandable. But I hadn't forgotten the way you looked at me earlier, so..."

"Alright, you two, I think that's quite enough," Chrom interrupted us before things could start going down south. "Don't you think that River's sufficiently proved herself moments ago, as well?"

"And I'd show the cut on my face if it was still there. The cut that would've been meant for either one of you lot." I added, poking at my cheek.

Chrom gave me a look that pretty much translated to _I'll handle this_. Well, except that he had a reassuring smile stapled on his face instead of a frown. I raised my hands and backed off, but not without giving Frederick a nod first. Lissa gave me a knowing look as if to say that she knew exactly what I feel, and Robin… she'd given me a look of sympathy, but it was missing a certain something.

Frederick decided that his liege was right. Whew. The last thing I'd want was being the cause of conflict.

"Exactly. I'd say River deserves to be trusted." Chrom nodded, taking his silence as yes.

"And I think she's a really nice person, too. I've got a good feeling about her—you're not alone in thinking that, Chrom." Lissa said brightly.

Okay, now she was just being sweet.

The knight gave me one last, long look and then sighed. "Alright, then I have nothing further to say. River, I hope you don't betray that trust."

"I _won't_."

I knew the man was going to keep tabs on me anyway, but I could deal with that. Just gotta be an open book, and stuff.

"So you want to join as a Shepherd then? We've certainly got more room for able warriors." Chrom asked, suddenly turning to me. I blinked.

"Shepherds?"

"That's what our band is called. We try to help the innocents as much as we can, and as Frederick put it earlier, we're shepherds that protect the sheep. It's perfectly alright if you're having second thoughts, though. I'm not going to force you."

All I could give was a nervous smile when everyone's eyes were suddenly on me. All that attention was positively _choking_. "Well, considering that Robin's joining in too, it's not right if her little sister doesn't do the same."

...

Aaaand, I suddenly felt like I've said something wrong. Everyone now had puzzled and surprised looks on their faces as they found themselves giving me a second good look.

…Even Robin.

"Little sister?" Lissa asked after a moment of silence.

I nodded slowly. "Um, yes. I got my looks from my Father. So… that's why I look different from her. She's two years older than me."

"Milord…" Frederick looked at Chrom in alarm, who looked back, and a silent message seemed to be exchanged between them.

"If Robin's your sister…" Chrom turned to me afterwards with unease, as if there was a topic he didn't know how to broach. "Do you know what's happened to her, then?"

"Huh? She ran away from home and I went after her. Is that what you mean?" I replied confusedly.

"Er, not exactly." He said.

Something about that made me start to feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Then what's with all the cloak-and-dagger stuff? Robin looks just fine."

Silence. Nobody seemed to know what to say when I questioningly looked at each of them. Lissa looked more like she wanted to come and hug me instead. And Robin…

"You're my sister?" She finally asked.

Something about that _stung_ , but I tried to keep myself together.

"Of course you are, silly! You even gave me this." I gestured to my cloak. I was starting to come to this certain conclusion, but I couldn't find it in me to accept it. My stomach flipped uncomfortably. "I—I think it's high-time we come clean about our familial relations, don't you think?"

Robin's expression shifted into an uncertain one. When she looked at me, for once she had no idea what to do. In the end, all she could say was, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I remember you."

I froze.

"You're... sure? You aren't jesting."

My sister looked apologetic at the crushed expression I couldn't hold back. "I'm afraid not. If it helps, you look like you could be my sister. I won't mind getting to know you again. Really."

Everything finally clicked together. It finally occurred to me why I was so worried about losing Robin the moment she went out of her own. Amnesia. I subconsciously knew that Robin was going to suffer from amnesia because... because... gods, I couldn't remember the specifics. But because of that, I could no longer deny what I'd been suspecting since I met her today.

Here I thought people were being dramatic when they say they felt like their world ended the moment they lost someone they loved. That they were just full of angst and they needed to move the fuck on. Apparently, I was wrong. Dead wrong. What happened might as well be more than thinking that the world had just collapsed into a million shards because the revelation hurt so much more than any wound I could have gotten.

It's like every memory we shared with each other was thrown out of the window. Invalidated.

I've lost my sister.

And I didn't know when she was coming back. If she was coming back.

I stared at Robin. She stared back.

And then I fainted.

* * *

 **If my chapters are getting too long, don't hesitate to say so. Also, yep, that happened. I'm also surprised at the amount of feedback I got for the last chapter because I wasn't expecting much since I usually see my work as ehhhhh despite what y'all think. Just gotta say... you guys are _amazing_.**


	6. Chapter Five: Part One

**And this, ladies and gents, is the chapter I replaced the scrapped one with. I feel much better about this one than the other, and as my solution to dealing with my problem of ending up with a chapter that's too damn long for my tastes because I'm cramming everything I wanted to write in one go, I'm separating this chapter into two.**

 **Part two will be in the works after this gets posted. It's probably not going to be as long as this, if not just as long, but I feel like if I'm going to burn out if I wrote it all in one single file. This way, I get to come up with more ideas without bloating this one up.**

 **Btw, I'm still going to go over this one after it's uploaded. So there's probably some last-minute edits sneaked in at a later time. :3  
**

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Part One

" _River. Riveeeer._ "

It wasn't until I felt my shoulder tapped repeatedly that I realized someone had slowed down to match my pace from behind the Shepherds. Blinking away my daydream involving the nostalgic days when Robin and I used to play tag at the empty field behind our house, I turned to my right and saw Lissa waiting for me to acknowledge her. There was no mistaking the look of concern on her face despite the amused one she'd put on as a mask.

Because, really, it couldn't be anything other than a mask. I've seen the way the others looked at me earlier, and hers had been similar to theirs.

"Um," I immediately broke eye contact and suddenly found one of my braids very interesting. I started toying with it as I softly asked, "That's… not the first time you've called my name, isn't it?"

"Nope." Lissa easily answered. "In fact, that was the _fifth_ time. Geez, you're really good at blocking people out..."

I winced at that.

I _had_ more or less shut down after I'd regained consciousness earlier. Ever since I'd accepted that I hadn't dreamed Robin's amnesia, I'd been distant. Absentminded. Distracted. Numb. I was constantly thinking of the what-ifs that might have saved my sister from her fate. I was reliving the memories we shared with each other. Hell, too many were the times I'd nearly walked into a tree as we continued our travel.

I shouldn't be this way. I _wasn't_ usually this way. But… I currently was.

"I was just joking about the last part—no need to be guilty about it! It's justified… I think."

"Still, I'm sorry." I refused to meet Lissa's eyes. As of right now, I was definitely making a good show of how _not_ to act as a brand new recruit of the Shepherds. I was pretty sure I'd been more of a liability than an asset since we've left Southtown.

Maybe I was also be the reason why the entire group wasn't moving as fast it should. I'd been lagging behind for who knows how long. Maybe I was testing Frederick's patience at the same time. The man had been serious about going back to the capital ASAP.

At this rate, I should probably just quit before anyone died trying to save my worthless hide. Go back home and stay with my parents and tell them how I failed, failed, failed. I mean, who am I kidding? I'm just a fifteen-year-old girl who thought she was ready for anything.

Today was a big slap in the face.

Instead of getting to mull over my depressing thoughts, though, I nearly jumped when I felt an arm snaking around my shoulders. Lissa's warm body pressed against mine as the girl pulled me towards her in what appeared to be a one-armed hug. I tried not to look at Chrom, Robin, and Frederick in front of me; I didn't want to see their faces when _they_ started looking at _me_.

Because right now, Lissa's hug reminded me so much of Robin's hugs and it was making the tears well up again.

And crying… was something I'd already done a lot earlier.

"You know what I think you need?" Lissa gave me another light squeeze and grinned at me.

"A gigantic tub of ice cream?" I guessed dully, just to humor the princess. Ice cream and depression did go hand in hand.

When I finally looked at her, she was obviously not expecting that answer because she blinked and her grin flickered.

"…Now you're just making me hungrier." She rubbed her empty stomach, gave Frederick's back a pointed glare, and stuck her tongue out. I blinked when the aforementioned man suddenly sneezed from atop his steed, never looking back at us even once.

The stern knight had been the reason why we were out of town and traveling northwards despite the sun sinking over the horizon. Lissa protested the decision, but she'd been immediately silenced after Frederick pointed out that it was part of what she had to get used to as a Shepherd.

And since Chrom also agreed, well… there went that girl's arguments.

"Ugh, sorry. I forgot you hadn't eaten yet." I lightly smacked my palm on my forehead. "Gods, I'm doing nothing right today."

"Stop apologizing. That's just the depression talking—and, really, it's okay. You're not in the right state of mind. But I sure want some right now…" Lissa shook her head and rid herself of the dreamy expression on her face. I noticed the way the side of her lips twitched when she managed to make me crack a smile. Whatever she was doing to me, it was working. "Anyway. I meant you need a distraction."

"Oh… kay?"

"I was thinking of doing a _prank_ "—she uttered that last word more softly—"on Frederick, but… I don't have any ideas at the moment."

"…Wait." That actually made me forget myself for a second because what I just heard was hard to believe. "You. A princess. Doing pranks. A _pranking_ princess. With all due respect, I thought the nobility had better things to do."

"You're not the first one to say that. But let me tell you, it's heaps of fun." She let out a small giggle. After that, she confessed, "Though I _would_ want to be like my older sister someday…"

She was a younger sister. I was a younger sister. It wasn't hard to know what she meant by that.

"Trust me, I know the feeling perfectly well." I said, feeling a bit of nostalgia creeping up on me. I couldn't help but eye Robin with a sigh just then.

"Oh… right. Robin. Sorry, you probably didn't want to think of that right now." She looked embarrassed for a second. "And, on second thought, it's not like I'll be able to do that tonight, anyway. I don't think I'll be in the mood for whatever Frederick the _Wary_ has in store for us. So maybe I'll help distract you in Ylisstol till you feel better about this whole thing." Lissa said, nodding to herself. I watched how her pigtails swished along with her head. "Hmm, come to think of it, you wondering what distraction I'll have in store for you _is_ enough of a distraction for tonight."

"That's true." I agreed. The princess beamed at me, and this time, I couldn't resist mirroring her expression. She was just so… so sunshine-y that she'd easily chase away every single raincloud. "But honestly, Lissa. You don't really have to do that. All I need right now is time." I returned the one-armed hug. "Thank you for trying, though. I didn't think I needed someone to talk to until you did. And I swear I'll make it up to you _and_ everyone else somehow."

"Just knowing I made someone feel better is reward enough. Come on, you're a new Shepherd. You shouldn't be frowning on your first day as one." She heartily patted me on the shoulder.

This time I couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

And then, the people in front of us stopped. I watched whatever idle conversation was happening in front die down. Frederick began inspecting our surroundings. I didn't know if he was looking out for danger or wondering if this would make a good place to stay the night in, but it was more likely he was doing both.

"Well, I suppose this location should prove sufficient for tonight's camp." Frederick finally concluded.

Distraction, indeed. I didn't realize that the density of the trees around us had increased. If I wasn't wrong, we were in the woods. With a last grin shot at me, Lissa detached herself and went to her brother's side.

"Where exactly are we now, anyway?" I finally asked. I ignored the half-surprised looks on everyone's faces—except Lissa's, obviously; it was the first time I actually spoke up with an interested tone since… well, you know.

Chrom shot Lissa an approving (and… knowing?) smile, who returned the expression with something that translated to _mission accomplished_. She looked rather proud.

Come to think of it, the two _had_ been speaking in hushed voices sometime earlier. I'd been too far out of it to care.

"We're somewhere in the west of Ylisstol, River. The capital's not far off from here." Chrom finally answered. "I'd say this isn't a bad spot to camp out. It's still open enough to feel the wind blow."

"The woods? Really?" Lissa huffed as she warily eyed the trees around us. "We could've stayed back in Southtown for the night—it's getting dark, isn't it? Frederick, sometimes I hate you. And look, the bugs are already out. I can hear the buzzing—agh!"

Yeah… I was pretty sure I turned slightly green when watched an unidentifiable insect dive straight into the princess' open mouth, making her gag and attempt to spit the thing out. I cautioned a glance at my sister; she'd schooled her features well enough to hide her own disgust. If I hadn't known her, I'd have missed the fact that she actually _was_.

"Oh… oh gods. I think I swallowed it."

At this, Chrom looked unsure whether he wanted to laugh or keep playing the role of a sympathetic big brother, patting the girl on the back as Lissa tried not to look sick. The mirth in his eyes was impossible to miss, though.

Frederick, on the other hand, was holding back an amused smile of his own.

And Robin and I? We'd winced in complete synchronicity. After we realized what we'd just done, we turned to each other, awkwardly chuckled, and looked away. No words were exchanged, but I think the ache in my chest wasn't as painful as before.

I guess that was a start.

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

Dinner had been… a pretty interesting affair, to say the least. I still wasn't feeling particularly sociable enough to join in on the banter about venison and its potential to mess up the food chain, quietly munching on my piece of bear meat, but I allowed myself a small smile or two. Especially when I discovered Frederick's aversion to bear meat.

I mean, come _on_ , I totally heard the man's stomach rumble despite his claims of being full.

In any case, I had absolutely no idea how much time had passed since then. But if I had to put a label on what time it was now, I'd say it was bedtime. Everyone had finally settled down in their own spots around the blazing campfire and fell fast asleep. Thanks to Frederick's meticulous—almost bordering on obsessive compulsive, if you ask me—cleaning of the campsite, with me quietly helping along as my way of making up for my behavior earlier, there was nary a pebble in sight to provide discomfort to everyone's backs.

…And now I had a question in my head: how could Frederick sleep in his armor?

I honestly should be hitting the hay myself, but somehow, my brain refused to shut down and let me enter my dreamland. I'd already made a pillow out of my cloak to provide my head some comfort, but no, sleep just wouldn't come to me. Too many were the times I'd tossed and turned around my spot, only to grumble and grumble as my frustration rose.

My chest ached as I looked at Robin's sleeping form. She used to let me slip into her bed and curl up against her when I had trouble sleeping. Heh, she'd usually end up hugging me like she would a pillow in the middle of the night.

But now… I'd probably just intrude on her personal space since I was more or less a stranger now. It was sad, really. Depressing, even. But it was the truth. And I couldn't do anything about that.

I sighed and breathed deeply before exhaling. I didn't want to be sad anymore. But moving on? It was tough.

And I still can't sleep, gods damn it.

I flipped my body over to my other side.

…

…

Dammit.

Screw this, I'm going out for a walk.

I gave a frustrated huff, stood up, and fastened on my cloak, and walked down a randomly chosen path.

The forest at night wasn't really as eerie as I thought it would be. But then, it wasn't like the treetops completely covered the sky and shrouded this area in darkness, allowing the moon to shine down without any trouble. There were shadows, yeah, but they didn't give me the impression that something was going to jump out of them.

It was also surprisingly quiet with a noticeable lack of nighttime music; there were no singing crickets, hooting owls, rustling leaves—nothing. No wind, either. The only noise echoing around the forest was the sound of my boots crunching against the twigs and leaves.

Which struck me as odd, but on the other hand, I liked the quiet.

It's a beautiful night, though. The stars in the black sky twinkled so merrily; just staring at them made me feel like floating up on a cloud. The sight of them reminded me of something my mother told me as a child: that, even if two people lived in opposite sides of the world, they'd see the same sun, moon, and stars no matter what.

It was a nice thought. Nice enough that it made me feel peaceful.

But apparently, the world decided it was high time to throw a curve ball.

The step I meant to take had turned into a full-on stumble as the earth started rumbling and shaking wildly. With a surprised yelp, I crashed to the ground and failed to catch myself on time. My forehead collided against the ground so hard I saw white stars. But I didn't think it cracked open like a watermelon. Thankfully.

In any case, I wasn't about to stay down when an earthquake was happening. I did _not_ want to be crushed to death by falling trees.

I struggled to pull myself up and, turning towards the direction I came from, I proceeded to break into a run. I could hear the sound of trees falling down behind me as I sped away. From my peripheral, I could spot some parts of the ground split away and rise—and _fall_.

Earthquakes… most definitely did _not_ do that.

 _And did I just see fucking lava erupt out of the fucking ground like a volcano?_

It easily set fire to the trees as it splashed on them.

Alright. Now _that,_ was a good motivator for running _faster_. Thank the gods for my daily exercising routine, because I poured a lot of my stamina into running like there's no tomorrow.

My surroundings were a total blur as I sped through the woods, speed-vaulting across fallen logs like a parkour expert, avoiding large fires that made me want to freeze and cower back, and leaping across fissures and elevated platforms. In fact, I might as well _have_ gone through a parkour course. I only stopped when everything finally calmed down.

I bent down on my knees and breathed harshly, feeling sticky with sweat.

But then, the show wasn't over.

Before I could even recover from my sprint, I saw some sort of portal literally crack open out of nowhere in a burst of white light.

Something came out of it.

The smell of decay filled my nostrils as one, two—no, _three_ things dropped from the portal and crashed to the ground with a thud.

I felt my blood run cold as my gut practically yelled at me to run, _now_.

 _I'm seeing purplish, animated, dead bodies._ _ **Armed**_ _purplish, animated, dead bodies._

Slowly, ever so slowly, they raised their heads.

And turned to me with glowing, red eyes.

I felt a chill run down my spine as I _felt_ their intent to kill.

 _Shit._

I wish this was a moment when I get to have a moment of badassery and kick their decaying butts with moves that would make even the most hardened assassin cry, but… no, that'd be pure fantasy. The likelihood of _me_ surviving a three-on-one melee was in the negatives; I didn't know how fast those things moved, didn't know their fighting style. I managed to learn how to think strategically, thanks to Robin, but my current situation just screamed unwinnable. And for all my combat knowledge, my margin for error in facing three enemies at once was depressingly small. One slip, and I was kaput.

And, more importantly, I didn't have a weapon on me.

I should win an award for being the least prepared person on earth.

"Well, uh…" I gulped and took a few, slow steps back. I flinched as I heard an unearthly howl escape their rotten mouths. "N-nice as it was to meet you guys… I gotta go. Cheerrio!"

I turned and bolted before they could even tense to move.

I could feel my legs starting to burn as I pumped in more speed in an attempt to lose the wretched things. Yet, no matter how much effort I've put into taking as many twists and turns as possible in this altered landscape, they remained hell-bent on chasing me—I could hear their heavy footsteps echo throughout the forest. My heart thudded harshly against my chest as I frantically searched for any signs of the Shepherds. And as I ran, my thoughts raced just as fast.

Weren't animated corpses supposed to be pathetically slow because their bodies were stiff and all?

They shouldn't be able to wield weapons, either.

Their arms should be tearing away from their bodies the moment they hefted their big axes.

Because, hey, look at that, _decaying_ flesh.

Gods, I hate this day and the bullshit it brings me—

"No!" I lost my balance as my foot collided with a rock I didn't spot in time. When I felt the white-hot pain spike from it, I was pretty sure that it had bended in a way it shouldn't and was rendered unusable.

I can't run anymore.

The fear that I wasn't getting out of this mess alive threatened to overcome me as I flipped myself over, wincing from my injury and crawling back as I heard my pursuers' footsteps and growls sound louder and louder. Tears began welling up my face for the umpteenth time as the reality of my situation sank in.

I was going to die alone because I stupidly isolated myself.

I could cast my spells without a tome as my last stand, but I'll black out and end up dead anyway.

I wasn't going to get the chance to move on from losing the sister I knew and start over with the one I have now.

I was going to die again.

And this time, I wasn't getting any second chances.

I shut my eyes and shielded my face with my arm. A sob escaped my lips.

"Pretty pathetic of you ash-faced freaks to pick on a defenseless little girl like that. Think you're so tough, huh? Yeah, well, once I'm done with you laughingstocks, you're going to be in a world of pain!"

 _Little girl?_

Wait.

I'm not dead.

A loud neigh echoed throughout the area before a horse galloped past my prone form, making the air _whoosh_ around me in its wake. A woman in red armor had charged forward, lance gripped firmly, and when I got a glimpse of her face, she looked fierce. Her extremely short hair was colored in a similar shade of her armor.

A cavalier.

With a battle cry and a nerve of steel—at this point, I thought it was _titanium_ —the woman twirled her lance dexterously before gripping it firmly, lunging at the nearest monster's with all her strength. The undead didn't get to react in time.

Apparently, the creatures (Zombies? Demon zombies? Demon _brain-eating_ zombies?) were fast runners, not quick thinkers.

Said undead had let out a last, hollow groan before dissolving in what appeared to be black ash.

Eurgh.

"Damn, that's definitely going to take some getting used to." I heard her mutter.

"Hey, heads up!" I yelled at her, pointing to another undead that was charging at her from her blind side. The cavalier steered her horse around, but she wasn't going to be able to it in time and—

No. Something happened.

Three rapidly-shot arrows had zipped above me and made their mark on the second creature's torso, sending it reeling from the impact with a pained howl. From the corner of my eyes, I saw another person—an archer—step forward with another arrow already nocked. The woman immediately jumped at the small window of opportunity presented before her and plunged her lance right at the heart, looking satisfied as she watched the weapon completely pierce through the other side.

The archer, as it turned out, had shoulder-length hair in light blue, and was dressed in a kind of attire that only the nobility tended to wear—and afford. His handsome face and his posture was enough to convince me that this man right here was of nobility.

Besides, he didn't share the… roughness that we village folk had.

Anyway, before the _third_ undead could strike the knight down with an axe swing, I abandoned all reservations about casting spells without a tome and shot the thing with a bolt of lightning straight from my fingertips. I immediately felt the lightheadedness creep in from exerting a lot more magical energy than what was normal. But I steadied myself before I could fall back down.

On the plus side, my distraction was all the knight and the archer needed. A couple lunges, some dodges, and several arrows later, the last undead dissolved into ash.

"Kid, you okay?" The woman asked as she got off her horse.

I nodded, only to wince when I accidentally moved my injured foot. "I'd say yes, but then I'd feel my foot hurt…"

"Well, there isn't much to be done about that until you see a healer—and lucky you, I know one. Come on, you're better off staying with me for the meantime. Up you go."

I grabbed her outstretched hand and let her pull me up, gritting my teeth as I felt a stab of pain shoot up from my foot. She let me latch on to her for support as I put all my weight into my other foot.

"Can it, Ruffles. Now isn't the time or place—unless you're asking for another kick." She suddenly cut off the archer who was going to open his mouth. But instead of harrumphing or marching away after being offended, he looked… awed? There had to be something to be said about the almost slack-jawed expression on his face.

"Ah, but please, allow me to compliment you on such a magnificent performance earlier, my dear Sully. Your movements had very nearly entranced me, and if not for the dire circumstance that befell us and this lovely lady here, I might have been completely under your spell." Said the man called _Ruffles_. I knew that wasn't his name, but hey, it rolled quite nicely off the tongue.

And now I was starting to doubt if he truly _was_ a noble.

Sully rolled her eyes. "If you're thinking of asking for an encore, don't. Won't have much of a choice but to do it. On you."

"That, and we're kind of in the middle of an undead invasion…" I added uneasily.

Virion gave an expression of mock hurt at Sully. He did so in a way that wouldn't make him out of place in a play.

"In any case, I guess tonight's events are something I can lord over Chrom for insisting on patrolling with just Lissa and Frederick. Pretty damn stupid of him if you ask me. He could have brought _me_." She shook her head and looked down at me—I was shorter than her. "I don't suppose you've seen a blue-haired prince around, have you? He's got a mark on his upper arm that differentiates him from any other noble."

"I'm one of his new recruits." I managed a small grin.

Sully returned the expression with a wider one. "Welcome to the club, then. You'll probably know where they are, if that's the case."

"Unfortunately… no. Not really."

"Reason?"

"I'm a sheep who strayed from the flock. Ironically enough."

"Well, damn, that's unfortunate."

"I know where our camp is, though. But knowing what just happened, I'm quite sure they aren't there anymore. Not to mention, well… the forest doesn't exactly look the same as before." I awkwardly tugged on my braid.

Sully shrugged, none too bothered about the new problems presented by what had just transpired. "Eh. Then it's time to look for them. What's your name, kid? I'm Sully."

"River." And, turning towards the archer, I quirked an eyebrow.

"I am Virion, my dear, the archest of archers." The archer gave me a graceful bow. "I must say, it's quite fortunate we reached you in time. A lovely lass like yourself does not deserve a grisly end from those monsters."

He earned yet another nasty look from Sully. "Ruffles, you might find it in your best interests to leave the kid alone."

Oh-kay... I decided to just let the… compliment, enter one ear and exit the other. "Er, right, that's okay, Sully. It's very nice to meet you too, Virion. Anyway, let's just get going. You need to find Chrom, and I need to find Lissa. Since they're usually together, it's a win-win."

"That's the plan. Alright, River, you're riding with me." Sully said. When she helped me up her horse, I totally felt like a lightweight; it's like she didn't find it hard to lift me at all.

Then again, I could see a hint of muscle on her exposed upper arms.

"Ready and saddled up, milady," I dryly said.

"I could do without the 'milady' crap, but alright then." Sully climbed up the horse and settled herself on the saddle. I inched myself back to give her room in front of me. "Better hold on tigh. This won't be a smooth ride." Then she smirked at Virion. "And try to keep up, Ruffles."

Virion's face looked priceless at the thought of doing even more running.

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

Alright, so searching for Chrom and the others wasn't as hard as we thought. Sure, we had to eliminate some more of those creatures along the way, but it turned out that all we had to do was follow the sounds of fighting the moment we heard it.

Peering over Sully's shoulder revealed that the place was a mess of burning wood, fault lines, fallen trees and ash piles. The scent of smoke and decay immediately assaulted my nostrils, and as we galloped—well, in Virion's case, _ran_ —towards the battlefield, we spotted even _more_ of those icky things.

"Well, this doesn't look good." I muttered, earning a grunt of agreement from Sully.

There were far more than what Chrom, Robin, and Frederick could have handled, that I could say. Sure, currently, the prince and the tactician were doing fine. They were fighting side-by-side and, for two people who had just met today, their teamwork was pretty good. They had each other's blind spots covered as the waves of undead came at them, with Chrom cutting them down as Robin sizzled them with Thunder spells.

Frederick, on the other hand, was luring some of the undead away from the duo. Since the monsters seemed to consider him the bigger threat, he hadn't exactly been having a hard time either.

And Lissa? Well, she was ever at the ready. She looked pale and her eyes were slightly wide with fear, but she was soldiering on. She firmly gripped her staff, casting healing spells left and right when one of the three fighters were cut by one of the undeads' weapon. She stuck close by to Frederick, who made sure nothing endangered the princess' life.

But, there was no mistaking the tiredness in their eyes. But, there was no mistaking the tiredness in their eyes. After all, two hours' worth of sleeping wasn't enough to allow the body to reenergize, especially after what happened this afternoon. If these undead kept coming and coming, then they were screwed.

That is, they were if _we_ weren't around.

"Captain Chrom!" Sully shouted as her way of greeting, steering her horse towards the two. Virion was following us not far behind.

When the undead Chrom was fighting made the mistake of being distracted by the newcomers, the prince took his chance to swiftly behead the creature with one fell swing. He proceeded to help Robin eliminate her own foe by stabbing the thing after it convulsed from another Thunder spell.

"Sully! I didn't expect to see you here." Chrom said as his way of greeting the cavalier, approaching her. Robin trailed behind him. "Thank goodness you came. I don't know how long we'd last here."

"Not for long, that's for sure." She nodded. "Alright, much as I'd want to tear you a new one for going off _again_ with just Lissa and Frederick, let's just skip over to the part where you point my lance to the nearest ash-faced freak" And then, after Sully felt me shift behind her, she said, "Oh, right, and this kid's looking for Lissa."

And Chrom finally noticed me clinging to the woman. His body almost sagged with relief after I gave him a small, hesitant wave. I shyly gestured to him to help me down, pointing to my sprained foot and shaking my head to tell him that it wasn't functional. The prince immediately complied, and I held on to him for support.

"Gods, River. Where have you been? For a while, we thought you'd already—"

"Died?" I shook my head. "Well, I got close to doing that. Thankfully, Sully and Virion—he's the panting archer over there—found me before some of those undead got to me. I'd been out on a walk when the earthquake happened."

"Well, then I'm _glad_ you're alright!" Lissa had made a beeline towards me the moment I was in her line of sight. When I looked in her direction, I spotted Frederick nodding at me from afar, continuing to keep a wary eye for any more of those monsters.

"Worried doesn't even begin to describe what I've been feeling." Robin added as she approached us and looked at me. I squirmed uncomfortably under her scrutinizing gaze, only relaxing when she finally turned away and assessed our surroundings. "Alright, I've decided. River, we're going to talk later. But for now, let's focus on clearing this place up once and for all."

"Right. And I'm sorry for worrying you all. And, um, Lissa, I'd very much like you to take a look at my foot—it's sprained. I'm useless until it's fixed."

"Of course! Sit down so I can pull your boot off and take a better look at it."

I immediately obeyed and let the healer do her work. As Lissa got to dealing with my foot, I listened to Robin discuss the new strategy she'd come up with the moment she realized that there were now new additions to the army.

"I'm not quite sure how many more of these things are left, but scattering to find all of them won't work well for us. So this is what I've thought: Virion—that's your name, correct? Oh, good. You'll join me in taking our places at the top of the fort nearby. We'll provide the long distance attacks as Frederick lures whatever monsters he could find towards this particular location." Virion let out a sound of assent and Robin nodded at him, pointedly ignoring the strange expression in the noble's face. "Chrom, River: you two will wait by the fort's entrance until Frederick and Sully returns. After Virion and I end our assault once the monsters are in range, you two charge in and help the two kill these things. Finally, Lissa, you stay inside the fort until someone needs your healing again… Oh, and where's this mysterious helper of ours, by the way?"

"I haven't noticed which direction he took, but I'm sure he's somewhere close by. I've seen him fight; he'll be fine." Chrom answered. And then, he gave Robin an impressed look. "You're really proving to be a good addition to the Shepherds, by the way."

My sister's cheeks flushed slightly red at the compliment before returning to her Serious Tactician mode. I mentally noted that despite her amnesia, some of her mannerisms had stayed with her; in this case, she was unconsciously and awkwardly rubbing her marked hand.

The chuckle that meant to escape my lips ended up replaced by a short yelp as I felt Lissa's healing magic seep in. Feeling an injury repair itself in fast forward was definitely not a comfortable feeling.

When it was finally over (and it only took seconds, actually), though, the healer helped me wear my boot again. I only stood up after Lissa nodded at me as her way of saying that I was fine now.

And, oh hey, I _was_. My foot didn't feel painful anymore as I experimentally bent it.

"Okay, then. If no one has any further questions, let's get this plan into action." Robin finally said.

Everyone set off to perform their tasks. But before my sister joined Virion, she turned to look at me.

The expression on her face after she eyed my waist said it all.

"Yes," I confirmed. "I don't have a weapon on me."

Shaking her head, she pulled out the bronze sword that had been sheathed by her side. She handed it to me carefully, and I firmly held the thing by the hilt.

And then, Robin smiled. "Now you do. Now go on to your position, all right?"

"Right. Of course—and I promise that I won't send this sword flying."

"Heh. Oh, and one last thing." Robin said and tugged me with her by the sleeve, leading me towards the fort. I was pleasantly surprised at the action. And when Robin noticed the way my jaw slacked, she smiled again. "I may not remember who you really are to me right now, but I'm glad you're alive."

I felt my heart grow warm and fuzzy at that. There was still that ache concerning the memory part, but at the moment… it was bearable.


	7. Chapter Five: Part Two

**And heeeere's part two. Definitely shorter than the first part. I should really stop feeling like there's always something wrong with what I write. Though, I'll admit that this one probably doesn't have the kind of quality I was hoping to churn out. Ehh, it comes with being busy with college stuff again, I suppose. God knows how busy I'll become when I finally start my dreaded thesis. Thankfully, that one's not until next year.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter Five  
**

Part Two

Come to think of it, I'd never really seen Robin's lessons applied until today.

It wasn't until several minutes later when Frederick and Sully finally came back with a couple undead in tow. And well, considering how there were lesser numbers than I'd expected—I'd counted four when I'd been expecting at least six—I wasn't about to be far from assuming that the two managed to eliminate a few of the monsters before they went running back. I could see the faint traces of black ash on their weapons.

No complaints here. The lesser, the better.

The moment the monsters were in range, Virion and Robin began simultaneously pelting them with as many arrows and Thunder spells as they could manage from the top of the fort. Sully and Frederick moved out of the way before they were struck by friendly fire, and Chrom and I did the same by staying well out of their trajectory. We only stepped in to attack when the rain of pain finally stopped.

I immediately saw the point of Robin's plan: the long-ranged attacks were meant to weaken the undead so we could kill them without fatal repercussions. As a result, the creeps were moving more sluggishly now. Their pained howls were practically music to my ears.

"Well," I told Chrom as I adjusted my grip on my sword. "That's our cue."

The prince nodded at me. "I've got your back."

"And I've got yours. Frederick will have my hide if I let anything happen to one of his charges."

I heard an amused chuckle from the man as I ran forward without so much as a battle cry. I picked my target, and with the movements I practiced over the years, I thrust my blade through the monster's torso as hard as I could. It didn't get the chance to move away because I'd been too fast; I grunted as I then put all my strength into my arms and made my weapon cut horizontally through his body.

Gods, it was like trying to chop a particularly tough—and thick—piece of meat.

The plus side: there was no chance of me going queasy after splitting the thing into two. Since… well, y'know, _gore_. I instead got to watch in satisfaction how the monster dissolved into a pile of ash by my feet.

I kicked the pile as an afterthought and moved in to assist whoever I could assist.

Chrom seemed to be doing just fine, constantly on the move and stabbing, lunging or slashing whenever he could. I had to admire his footwork—it was as well-practiced as it could be. He might have gotten a few cuts because the undead he faced had a bit more fight in it than he (or I) thought, but he didn't look to be in danger just yet.

Sully, on the other hand, had what I thought was a look of wild glee on her face as she combated her own undead. Her eyes glinted in challenge as she parried the monster's strikes, giving her own counterattacks soon after. The way she expertly handled her lance was impressive, to say the least.

There was also this masked man who eerily fought in the same manner as Chrom, but despite my gut telling me that the person was someone I _ought_ to recognize (must've been someone Old Me knew), I turned my attention away from her—wait, _no_. I meant him.

I did not just become sexually-confused for a moment there.

Whatever was bugging me about that person, though, it could wait until later. I had more more important things to think about right now, and my mind didn't have enough room for trying to pull an old memory from wherever it ended up getting buried at.

Anyway. I wasn't about to complain that I felt like I've gotten the luck of the draw, one-shotting a critically weakened monster.

So… target, target… Aha.

Frederick and Sully must've missed luring this one; it hadn't been one of the monsters that followed the two knights along. Maybe it was a newcomer?

I also felt my jaw go slack for a second as I noticed the large hammer it was wielding threateningly. And, well, intimidatingly, for that matter.

 _Hammers are effective against armored opponents_ , my mind immediately reminded me as I watched it go after Frederick. When I noticed the knight's eyes widen just a fraction after he saw the monster, his expression told me everything I needed to know. He could probably handle it, but I wasn't about to take any chances.

I didn't think twice and immediately made a beeline towards that particular undead.

I was pretty sure I'd get backup soon enough if I couldn't handle this new threat. The rest of the crew should be wrapping up things soon; they have Robin and Virion to help them out.

"Hey, jerk-face!" I shouted as I got closer, slowing down a bit to pick up a rock I noticed this time. I let my non-dominant hand grab ahold of my sword's hilt so I could use my throwing arm. And success! I managed to hit it by the back of its neck hard enough to stop it from its tracks. Growling, it turned to me with those eerie, glowing eyes. "Yeah, that's right. _I'm_ your target. Now come here and get your ass kicked."

Bravado, thy name is River.

The thing immediately stomped towards me. With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I dashed forward to meet its attack.

But it didn't swing its weapon around like I expected it to. Instead, it leapt high into the air with its hammer raised. So before I ended up as a splattered mess, I quickly dove forward and rolled past it. I heard its weapon crash loudly against the earth behind me; the sounds of the ground cracking told me that I _definitely_ wouldn't have survived its attack if I got hit.

But no time for thinking. Gotta keep moving.

I got up, spun on my heel, and made another dash towards it with my sword stretched out in front of me. I managed to score a hit while it was pulling its hammer out from where it had stuck itself in, much to its annoyance. Unfortunately, I was well aware that I wasn't known for hitting hard. Hitting _fast_ , on the other hand…

I stepped back several paces to avoid its counterattack, quick and light on my feet. Frederick had managed to slash at it with his sword while it was distracted, but damn, this thing was pretty resilient. It was as if it refused to die and kept on going.

Then the situation decided to grow worse. From the fallen log to my northwest, several feet away from me, yet _another_ undead emerged. I could easily figure this one to be the leader; it had the largest body build out of all the undead our group had encountered before. Not to mention, it wielded two axes in so deadly (and intimidating) a way that I could feel my blood run cold.

Shit.

I immediately dove out of the way of the hand axe it threw at me. My right arm flared up in pain and I bit my tongue from crying out; I wasn't fast enough this time. The boss undead was faster, then. Not much of a surprise when I was aware that I'd spent enough energy avoiding the other undead's weapon.

At least I wasn't disabled just yet. I was just going to suffer a couple moments of irritating pain, that's all.

"Frederick," I yelled out to the knight who had gone to engage the large monster. "I'll handle Hammer Guy over here. That one is all yours!"

"Alright. Be careful, River." Frederick managed to say before he charged in its direction and blocked its way. He was, at the same time, preventing it from grabbing the weapon it threw at me earlier. "I'll assist you as soon as I can."

"That's the best I can ask for. Thanks!"

I turned away from him. From over Hammer Guy's decaying shoulders, I saw the silhouettes of my allies becoming clearer and clearer.

Good. All I had to do was buy myself time. Hammer Guy here could hit hard, but he was slow as a gods-damned snail. And I, in comparison, was way faster. I knew I had a fighting chance here—I just had to whittle down his… health, so to say, and finish him off. Little by little by little.

I could do this.

"Alright, I hope you can dance, buster." I muttered before jumping back to avoid its swinging weapon. The moment I saw an opening in the form of Hammer Guy recovering from its momentum, I lunged forward and managed to swiftly cut it by the waist. Then I twirled around and gave it a horizontal slash in the middle of its back before I stepped away.

Ooh, that made him mad. I dodged yet another one of its swings, though I could feel my breath starting to come out in gasps and felt myself growing sticky with sweat.

It swung again and I dodged it, but I hadn't managed to get my sword out of the hammer's way and it _flew_ out of my hands like a bird. I also didn't realize that as a result, I'd backed against a fallen tree.

And a part of my cloak got snagged by one of the more pointy branches. I tried pulling it free to no avail.

Oh gods.

No way.

 _Not again._

As I saw the looming figure of Hammer Guy, the memory of my near-death situation earlier flashed across my mind again.

I felt myself beginning to hyperventilate as I tried pulling again and _it still wouldn't come off._

And then he was coming closer and I was going to die die _die —_

But a well-placed Thunder spell struck it at its back, making it freeze in its tracks and convulse.

"Leave my sister alone."

Robin.

I immediately felt dizzy with relief as I watched my sister deal with Hammer Guy with the help of Chrom. Sully and Virion had gone to assist Frederick, and Lissa—who had been hiding all this time—ran towards me and helped unsnag my cloak.

"You'll be okay. Here, I'll help." Lissa said before she went on to get a better look at how my cloak ended up trapped there. She immediately set to work and made a much better job of freeing me from the branches.

"T-thanks. And, uh, I think you'll want to have a look at my wound here, too..."

"Gods, River, I'm surprised you still managed to hold your sword well! Alright, let's get to fixing this at once."

I guess that meant that I was down for count for the rest of the skirmish; I was weaponless again. Hopefully, one of the people in our group would be able to pick up Robin's sword later.

When the whole forest was finally cleared of those monsters, suffice to say I wanted nothing more than this night to end.

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

"You may call me Marth."

Marth. The Hero-King of legend. The one who had defeated Medeus, the Shadow Dragon, a long, long time ago. I wasn't fully brushed up on my history lessons—though I tried my best to listen to Mother's teachings—but I still knew that much.

But somehow I knew that wasn't his real name. Somehow. It was at the tip of my tongue. Lu... something. I'll need to think hard about this later when I got the chance. Right now, everything around me has a certain fuzziness to it. Apparently, _now_ was the time when the ground was appealing enough to lay on.

"You fight like a hero, that's for certain," Chrom said, good-naturedly, to the masked man (woman, my mind told me). From beside him, Lissa bobbed her head up and down. She actually looked a bit… starry-eyed, oddly enough. "Might I ask where you learned to fight like that? It seems oddly familiar."

"Come to think of it," I whispered to Robin, who had been quietly listening to the conversation in the background. I was doing the same, actually, except that I wasn't standing as still as my sister. Something about 'Marth' continually bugged me. "Marth _does_ remind me of Chrom during battle. How odd."

Robin nodded, her calculating, dark eyes never once leaving the aforementioned person. "I thought I was the only one to notice. But certainly, he _is_ a mystery. He even acts like one."

And then Marth said something awfully cryptic, turning away and leaving Chrom, Lissa—and to a point, Frederick—puzzled in his wake. He didn't look back.

"The world teeters on… what now? I don't get it." Lissa seemed to be the most confused out of the three.

But I understood what 'he' had meant.

"This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity." I replied, echoing the Marth's words. Robin and I rejoined the three. "That's what he said. And that, well, we've been warned. Basically, he's saying that what happened right now is… connected. Connected to something big. Maybe even something that could change the world." And then I realized that everyone's eyes were on me. I looked away from them, feeling my cheeks heat up. "At least, that's what I think he means. Um, can you guys stop looking at me that way, please?"

"In any case," Robin decided to say, grabbing everyone's attention. "He's gone before we can question him further. Too bad; I'd very much like to ask him a few questions, myself. It's hard to believe that he emerged from the same portal that those monsters came out of."

"Are you…" I turned my head to her. "Insinuating that he came from the same place as them?"

"Well… yes. It's not unreasonable to assume that." Robin nodded.

"I wager we'll hear of him again sometime in the future. But for now, we ought to head to the capital soon as we're able." Frederick said, reminding all of us about what we should have been doing right now.

To me, that basically meant that I was definitely not getting any sleep anytime soon. Damn. Not that I deserved to complain, though. I mean, they did put up with my mopey self for a good fraction of the day... and night. The least I could do was soldier on without a word. I wasn't special enough to be treated differently. Hell, I doubt I was special at all.

But despite my thoughts, I yawned. Loudly. _Embarrassingly_ loudly.

"Sorry." I muttered, feeling my cheeks grow hotter. "I hadn't had any sleep yet, that's all. But don't worry about me—I'll manage."

"I'm sure Frederick or Sully wouldn't mind if you rode with either of them," Lissa said in a sympathetic tone. There was no mistaking the concern in her eyes, though, despite the smile on her face.

…Maybe I looked dead on my feet right now. That would explain everything.

"I'll think about it. But for now, I'll be fine. Really. And…" I suddenly remembered something. I blinked. "Oh, right. Robin?"

The aforementioned tactician looked at me with her eyebrows slightly raised.

"You said you wanted to talk to me after the battle." I reminded her. Her eyes lit up when she finally remembered.

"Ah… right. I did say that. I don't mind doing it later when you've had some rest." She said. And dryly, she added, "After all, I wouldn't want you to suddenly fall asleep mid-sentence."

"If it helps, the Robin I knew would definitely say that." I pointed out, smiling. "Seriously, though. I look tired, but I'm not about to faint again. I'd rather hear what you have to say now rather than later."

"And if I said no, you're going to be stubborn about it." Robin stated. I nodded. My sister sighed and shook her head. "I suppose I should have known." She turned towards Chrom's group. "Hey. Can you excuse us for a moment? River and I need to talk for a moment—privately. I promise this will be quick."

"That's fine! I've been meaning to check on everyone else before we leave." Lissa chirped, gesturing to the staff strapped on her back.

"We'll be right here." Chrom added.

And Frederick, well, he was as serious as ever. Nothing from his posture or expression hinted at any objection.

"Thank you. Follow me, River."

I let Robin take me to a part of the woods where we were out of earshot.

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

The calm and collected tactician from before was gone; in her place was this stranger who wouldn't stop fidgeting. She _also_ couldn't seem to stop brushing her hand against the other, that one with the markings—it was like there was an itch that she was trying to ignore but came close to failing every time. But then, that was just her mannerism rearing its ugly head whenever she was anxious about something.

A part of me wryly thought that _that,_ at least, had stayed consistent after her amnesia.

"Okay. Honestly, I have no idea how to broach this subject. But after what just happened, I think I'm just going to say everything that's on my mind ever since I met you. Again. Because, you know, I forgot who you are." Robin began, breaking me away from my thoughts. "So if things come out wrong, I'm sorry."

"I'm all ears." I said half-jokingly. My tone didn't do anything to relax the older girl.

She deeply sighed and crossed her arms. "I'd very much want to scold you for scaring us so when all those terrible things happened and you were gone from the camp, but then… you just couldn't sleep, huh? I could hear your fidgeting from my side of the campfire."

"I actually thought _you_ were asleep." I confessed. "You were on your side, breathing deeply and all. You were practically as still as a rock."

 _That_ made Robin smile, albeit it was more of a guilty one than anything else. "I tried to. But it seems that I couldn't either. I guess that means we're both bothered about my whole... amnesia thing."

"Yep, that seems to be the case." I said. And then, in a tiny voice that reminded me of my younger self, I asked, "Are you cross with me for leaving the campsite alone?"

My sister shook her head. "No, but today did make me realize something. I admit that _scared_ is an understatement for what I personally felt when you were nowhere in sight while those monsters were around. I mean... today, I lost my memories, and then I find out I have a sister. A sister whom I almost lost before I got to know her again."

"Believe me," I was unable to meet her eyes; I could only look down at the burnt grass. " _I_ was scared shitless when I thought I was going to die without getting to move on and accept what happened."

"Well, we're both here now, at least. And I've been thinking of this the whole night, so… listen for a moment, will you?" Robin took a deep breath, composing herself. When I finally looked at her, she looked very apologetic. "I'm trying my best to get my memories to come back, but nothing's happening. I'm sorry I couldn't bring the old Robin back."

"It's the fault of whatever—or whoever—caused you to forget everything except your skills in combat and tactics. So don't apologize." Although, frankly, I still felt like a total failure when I thought of how I wasn't able to do something to avoid that. _Especially_ when I knew to some degree that something bad was going to happen.

One would think that being reborn in a different world meant retaining each and every memory about my old life, but apparently, naaah.

But I didn't say that out loud. Couldn't say that out loud.

"So… I was thinking…" Hesitation was written all over my sister's features as she got to the meat of this conversation.

"Yes?"

"What… do you say to… well, beginning all over again?" Robin slowly asked. "I—I mean, I know it's too soon to ask for something like that. I also know you're still hurting, and that kind of healing takes time. But… maybe we can do that eventually? I'd very much like to get to know you again. And to know the me from before. Besides, we both can't allow ourselves to be distracted by this issue when we end up going into battle again."

Well. Other than the part that it was more sensible that the two of us... cleared the air, so to say, Robin was right in saying that it was too soon. There were plenty of things I still had to get used to before I could completely move on. But life went on, didn't it? If I did nothing, I was going to get left behind. I didn't want to be sad forever.

Gods, I wasn't raised to be angsty. Old Me, I'm sure, wasn't someone like that, either.

Thus, I wasn't averse to her suggestion. So what else could I say but yes?

"I think I'd like that." A small, but genuine smile finally stretched across my face.

And before Robin could say anything, I approached her and pulled her into a quick but tight hug. I stepped away to find a pleasantly surprised look on her face. She blinked at me.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while now. Sorry if it makes you feel weird." I said, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck.

Robin finally smiled. I could almost feel the warmth in her eyes. "No, no, it's fine. It's not as strange as I thought it would be. That's a good thing, eh?"

"Definitely. So, er, with that finally dealt with, what say you about finally returning to the Shepherds? I'd rather not piss off Frederick—the man only means well, after all."

"That's true, though I wish he didn't fuss over Chrom and Lissa so much." Robin admitted sheepishly.

"Same here. But as we're coming to learn, Frederick will be Frederick. So come on, let's not keep them waiting!"

"I'm right behind you, River."

* * *

 **Whew, that's finally done. Please review! Feedback is highly appreciated; not only do they make for good motivators, they also let me realize whether I'm heading in a right direction or not. :D  
**


	8. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

 **-oo-**

I had no idea how it happened, but somehow I ended up agreeing to ride with Frederick for the rest of the trip to Ylisstol.

Or was it the knight that ended up agreeing to let me ride? Gah, I had no idea anymore. But whichever it was, Frederick didn't have any qualms about it. He was actually _close_ to volunteering to make me ride with him after giving my droopy-eyed self a single look.

Not that I have any complaints about being _this_ close to the man. Rather, I felt pretty safe and secure as I rode behind him; there was just something about Frederick's presence that made me feel that everything was going to be alright. Which was pretty weird, since it hadn't been too long since he used to regard me with faint suspicion that was bordering on insulting.

"You doing fine up there, River?" Chrom suddenly asked from my right. I guess I'd ended up being too quiet again while the rest were talking and talking—even Virion was doing it, except that he was getting close to completely pissing off Sully, whom I imagined was getting close to kicking the man. Again.

Or... maybe he thought I was about to fall off the horse. That wouldn't be too strange an assumption.

"I never thought I'd see the day when I could liken Frederick's armor to a very fluffy pillow." I answered honestly, my head resting against the knight's back. At this point, I was sure that I was getting closer and closer to falling asleep. My eyelids were heavier than bricks from sleep deprivation. I was just so, so _tired_.

Hell, my brain practically handed me its resignation form for the day since it was too tired to help me say the right thing.

I didn't even know how much time had passed anymore, either, just that the previously black sky was turning into a nice shade of purple—a shade that reminded me of grapes, actually. There were also the twinkling stars in the sky that grew lesser and lesser in amount as daylight approached, but it was a good thing I liked looking at the clouds, too; _those_ were getting easier and easier to spot by the minute. Yay.

Chrom's lips quirked into a smile. I gave him a lazy one in response.

"Don't worry, we'll be in Ylisstol in… say, an hour or two. We've got plenty of beds at the Shepherds' barracks; you can get some proper rest there." The prince then said kindly.

"And then I get to meet and greet the rest of the Shepherds afterwards, right? Yaaay." I sluggishly raised a fist in the air before readjusting my hold on Frederick's waist. I heard the knight's throat rumble in a low, amused chuckle.

On second thought, I was definitely toeing the line between consciousness and unconsciousness very, very closely. The only thing I've yet to end up doing was finding everything hilarious.

"I'm pretty sure napping is still a thing, amnesia or no," Robin said in a dry tone, momentarily slipping away from her conversation with Lissa. From what my hazy mind could recall, the two girls had been shifting from one topic to another in a rapid pace. I knew they'd started with Frederick's aversion to bear meat, but I no longer had any idea as to what they'd been talking about since. "In fact, I'd say that you _ought_ to doze off, even just for a short while. You're starting to remind me of those undead from earlier."

"Except that I'm much cuter."

"That's debatable." Robin answered in a teasing tone. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Well then. At least I know I'm definitely less prone to answering any urges of eating anyone's brains. Gods know how tasty yours would be, Robin," I shot back in a light tone. I yawned. "But, ah, fine, if no one minds me sleeping through whatever ends up happening later, then sure, I'll take a nap. Be warned, though: that's a point of no return."

"I'll make sure you don't fall off the horse, milady," Frederick added wryly. "In fact, I would say you'll want as much rest as you can right now. Once we're done with our current task at hand—"

"It's back to the monotony of training until we cry in exhaustion?" Lissa finished for him with an eyebrow raised. Clearly, she did _not_ sound too appreciative of whatever training regimen the knight had in mind. "Because your last session _did_ make me want to cry. That was simply too much running; the blisters on my feet had blisters!"

"Which you easily healed with a spell in the end, might I respectfully add. If you find such exercises too intense, milady, then I would suggest you do them more regularly. You're still out of shape—and you did volunteer yourself for this." Frederick bluntly pointed out. Just then, his horse gave a loud snort, agreeing with its owner.

I decided I was imagining things. Because last I checked, horses were… well, horses.

Lissa stared helplessly at Chrom, who shrugged at her in response. Finding no brotherly support, she looked away, but not without sticking her tongue out at him first. This healer was definitely a girl after my own heart. "Yeaaaah… I think I'm going to pass on the next opportunity to subject myself to more torture. I'll stick to healing everyone's scratches during training, thanks."

"It's… that bad? Really?" Robin looked like she regretted asking even before the words left her mouth.

The healer nodded gravely, her pigtails swishing from the movement. "Yep. His idea of fun is watching everyone struggle from his drills. If you looked at his face close enough when he's training you, you'll notice an expression of sadistic glee."

"Funny, I think I've spotted that kind of look once or twice before," Sully idly commented from behind us. Thankfully, Virion didn't add anything to that one.

"Oh-kay… duly noted." My sister briefly glanced at Frederick, gulped, and pursued the topic no more. "Remind me to bury myself in books when the chance to do so arises."

"I'll help find you a library to make a fortress with." I said with a faint smirk.

"Good. I'll need a lot."

"Princess—" Frederick began in protest, but Lissa was having none of it.

"It's true! Do you _even_ know what a 'break' is?"

"Something tells me he doesn't." I said, yawning. "In any case, I'll go on and say, 'Challenge accepted.' I don't think I'm in the right state of mind to enjoy the verbal sparring between princess and knight, so I volunteered to stop that before it happened. Besides, I need to get back to my daily routine."

And after seeing Lissa's gobsmacked expression and Chrom's suddenly interested one, I was quite sure that I'll be regretting saying all of that later. Much later. Because, congratulations, I've probably done the equivalent of willingly sticking my foot into a bear trap. But of course, right now, my sleep-deprived mind didn't completely think of the consequences of my actions.

So, I'll take up Robin's offer of dozing off. Because I definitely couldn't keep myself awake any longer, failing to understand what Frederick had just said to me.

In fact, I think I fell… asleep… right there…

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

It's a masquerade party.

The location is unknown, but the venue is unmistakably grand in design. From the high ceilings of the ballroom, a large, elegant chandelier hangs right in the middle, enveloping everything in a soft, golden light. The curtains are a rich maroon and laced in silver; the walls, on the other hand, are decorated with many breathtaking paintings framed in gold.

But while many men and women in fancy attires dance gracefully on the marble floor, there is no music.

That glaring flaw makes me realize that I am in a dream.

That, and the fact that everything seems to be blurry at the edges.

Despite those giveaways, I do not wake up.

"A somewhat lucid dream I can't get away from. Wonderful." Is what I say. Or I think I say. I step away from the corner where I realize I've been standing, and a look at my attire shows me that I wear a frilly dress suited for the occasion. And of course, it is red like my cloak.

"It's been a long time you've had a dream like this, don't you think?" A wry voice says to me.

I turn and find myself being approached by a woman with a head of wavy blond hair. She might have very pretty, almost princess-like, if not for the playful smirk etched across her face and the way she strides to me from the other side of the room.

Boyish. That is the description I'm looking for.

"You." I say flatly.

Her smirk grows even wider. "Me."

"You know that I can easily remove you from whatever dream my mind cooked up for me, right?"

"You can, hon, but you _won't_. In fact, why don't you remind me about why you don't mind keeping me around?" She says, even though her tone implies that she knows already. She just likes to hear me say it myself because it's fun.

I would know.

Because the woman in front of me is _me_ , too.

"You're the representation of every single thing from my past life or some bullshit like that." I cross my arms and meet her stare. It can be hard to believe at times that I used to have a pair of green eyes. "You personify my old memories—you're Serena, now known as River. And for some reason I keep dreaming of you this way. And _somehow_ I only remember my old name just now. The fuck is up with that?"

She laughs. It's not the most pleasant-sounding of laughs, which I'm thankful not to have retained in my new life.

"Bingo. You should hear yourself talk sometime. You sound so matter-of-factly at times it's like I'm hearing a book talk. Well, a _snarky_ book that has a penchant for cussing. Pfft."

I roll my eyes, but I end up smiling anyway. "Alright, alright, message received. So, Old Me, do you think there's any chance of me remembering some pretty important past memories this time? Because not remembering that _my sister_ would end up having amnesia sucks big time."

"Ah, no. Before I start answering and reminding you of stuff again, _you're_ going to dance with me first."

"…What?"

"Oh, come on, you've dreamt of a masquerade party for some reason. Might as well end up dancing at least once—and speaking of masquerade, the name you're looking for your mysterious, masked friend is Lucina." She looks almost smug when she finally reveals the name at the tip of my tongue. "It's easier to remember in a dream, huh?"

At the same time, an image of a blue-haired princess appears before me like some sort of hologram. I try to remember as much as I could about her: the brave face she always has on, the Brand on her eye, and the Parallel Falchion that she firmly holds in her hands. The image flickers before finally fading into nothing.

"You only said that so I'll say yes to a dance." I then point out with a slight frown, which she responds to with another smirk.

"Hey, gotta make sure you do, right? So come onnnn, we're dancing." She says and pulls me with her to the dance floor before I could even say yes or no.

In fact, she takes the lead without hesitation. We end up dancing to a strange waltz despite the lack of tune. And she's definitely a much better dancer than I am with her smooth movements; she shoots me an amused grin whenever I end up accidentally stepping on her feet.

"Alright, kiddo, if you're that desperate to cut to the chase, I'll stop playing around. Also, I hope your real self is a better dancer than your dream self." She chuckles before continuing. "So, let's recap first: you're currently tagging along with the Shepherds as a new recruit alongside Robin, who in this new life of yours is your sister. You found her as an amnesiac tactician, and despite that depressing discovery, you stuck with them."

"Because I can't go back home as a failure. No way, not without Robin." I add. She shows no indication of having heard me.

"But the problem here is: you're going along with the flow for now. You _want_ to start again with Robin, but you have no idea how to do that. Even though, well, right now, things seem fine between the two of you." Old Me adds. "You're good at maintaining facades, by the way."

"Thanks," I say dryly. "And that, yeah, I know there's more in store for me, but I can't, for the life of me, remember what. And after yesterday, I don't think I can handle any more surprises. I don't remember much anymore, but the feeling of déjà vu is there."

"That's pretty much it, and you know that I think the same way. We _are_ one and the same, after all." She winks at me. I shrug.

"So… what do _you_ think I should do?"

"If you ask me, it's pretty simple: we try dealing with your memory problem first before everything else. I mean, come on, you're too young for that sort of crap. I don't see a single strand of gray hair in that pretty, dark head of yours." She jokingly says.

"But _how_? Isn't that, you know, impossible? Restoring memories doesn't happen by…" _Magic_. I trail off with my eyes widening from a realization. I nearly forget to dance with my other self, and she steadies me firmly before I end up stumbling. Her eyes dance with amusement as she regards me.

"Yes, it might be done." Other Me confirms what I end up thinking of. "It's just a matter of finding out _how_. We can't have you stumbling about blindly any further, right? It could mean your death. And, maybe you don't have to change things, but I believe you can, anyway. No need to be so scared of changing something. You just need to remember that there's no pleasing everyone if something not to their liking happens."

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about in that last part, but… yeah, I suppose you're right. It's like listening to a broken record if I let the same shit happen, whatever it is." I say. "I'm not looking into becoming a 'fixer' kind of person, but I don't want to see everything around me collapsing, either."

"Spot on. So look, I can't do much to help you remember everything since I'm essentially _you_ , at the end of the day. Like, I can only give you bread crumbs to follow when you're up and about—you had it easier as a kid, you know? But anyway, if you really put your mind into remembering at least this part of the dream, you'll know what to do when you wake up."

"Come to think of it, eight-year-old me did have a better time remembering everything. I only started having more memory troubles because I've ended up so focused on honing my magic, increasing my knowledge, and learning how to wield a sword." I say. "Before that, the most I did during the day was play. And stare at clouds. That had given my mind a lot of thinking room."

"That's nice; you figured out what's wrong all by yourself." She ends up saying after I finish, a knowing smile on her face. It's like she expected me to say that. And she does. "Mission accomplished."

She finally releases her hold on me and leads me away from the dance floor.

"Thank the gods that's over," I sag in relief, letting out a long exhale and shoot an apologetic look at my past self. "I'm a terrible dancer, apparently."

"Aw, give yourself some more credit! You haven't danced something like this for real, yet. But anyway, I'm getting the feeling that our fancy little meeting's gonna be over." She says and stares at me from head to toe, hands on her hips.

"I don't like the look on your face right now," I point out.

She steps forward.

"Yeah, well, consider this as something necessary. Don't worry, you'll love me so much harder for this."

Then, when she's finally a foot away from me, she throws her hands forward and gives me one hard shove. I cry in surprise as I struggle to maintain my balance. She doesn't give me the chance and, despite her dress being in the way, she manages to sweep her leg against mine.

I curse the existence of heels as I continue falling backwards—

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

—and I landed on the stone floor.

My eyes shot open at once, shoving aside the pillow covering my face. I let out a soft groan and, after grabbing the mattress to my left for support, I hauled myself up. I plopped down on the surprisingly soft bed and shook my head as if to let my mind slide away from its sleepy state.

Gods, that was one strange dream—

Wait, where was I now, anyway?

Because this was definitely not the great outdoors. I was actually expecting to see foliage, not stone walls with Ylisse's banners decorating them. No cloud-filled sky, either; the first thing that greeted me upon waking up was the dull, gray ceiling. And if it weren't for the bright rays of sun streaking from the window, effectively brightening up the room, this place wouldn't have looked so cheery.

And then there was the fact that there were three additional beds in this room.

My heart thudded against my chest as I felt a wave of unfamiliarity wash over me. I'd _want_ to get up and explore this place to find out where I was, but somehow I was lacking the urge to do so. I swear I might have thought I was being imprisoned by Plegians if the room didn't look so… _homey_.

The door suddenly creaked open, making me look towards it in surprise.

A pretty girl with long, brown-gray hair walked in, humming a happy tune to herself. From the chest plate she wore on top of her purple dress, I was pretty sure she wasn't a civilian. Maybe she was some knight-in-training? That would explain a lot.

I couldn't stop looking at her hair ornament at the back of her head, though. It looked like a pair of pegasus wings spread out.

...I found it really cute, alright?

"Oh, hello," she greeted after she realized I was awake, looking my way with a sweet smile. "It's nice to see you're finally up and—ah!"

And then she tripped.

Over nothing.

"Oh gods," I gasped out, jolting myself out of my reverie and coming to her aid. I helped the girl up and became the recipient of an embarrassed expression. I blinked several times as our eyes met.

I was pretty sure asking if she was okay would be akin to asking a wounded person if he—or she—was bleeding, so I didn't say anything.

"Sorry about that," she said as I released her, patting some dust away from her clothes. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Gods, that's the second time I tripped today…"

"Is this a normal occurrence? You tripping over nothing?" I ended up saying instead of _I'm so sorry to hear that._ I imagined myself palming my face because hear ye, hear ye, River's bluntness takes the lead once more.

"Unfortunately… oh! Anyway, you're River, right?" The smile was back on in full force as she slipped away from that particularly awkward subject. "They've told me and the others all about you."

"They?"

"You know, Captain Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Sully… and Robin. That's her name, I think. Oh! Right. You're her little sister, aren't you? Robin's, I mean."

I nod slowly, suddenly feeling confused because I realized I had absolutely no idea how much time had passed. "That's me."

"Aw, you're cuter than I imagined. Oh, but you're probably wondering where you are." She said, but then her mouth shaped itself into an 'o' and she immediately added, "And, oops, sorry! I nearly forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sumia."

Oh... kay, then.

"It's nice to meet you, Sumia." I decided to smile at her, making her face brighten up even more. "So, uh, yeah, I'm feeling kind of… lost. I mean, last I remembered, I was riding behind Frederick atop his horse. I don't think I even want to know how I didn't fall down the entire journey."

Sumia gave a soft giggle at the mental image I somehow managed to give her.

"Well, you've been down and out for at least eight hours, which is plenty enough time for a scenery change," Sumia explained. "And right now, you're in the Shepherds' barracks. There's a lot of stuff you missed."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like the fact that we're going to Regna Ferox in five days. It would have been sooner, but preparations have to be made, war councils held, and there's a need to learn what's become of world outside this city. Gauge the danger, and all that." A newcomer answered for Sumia.

The girl and I both turned our heads to find Robin entering the room with a stack of books in her arms. I belatedly realized that there was also a lone desk at the other end of the room, right across the door… and that there were already _some_ books placed on top of it.

Oh gods, was she planning to read all of them in one night?

"No," Robin answered after taking one look at my incredulous expression, able to tell what exactly I'd been thinking of asking her. Was I that much of an open book right now? "What I have here are just books I borrowed from the castle's library for the duration of our stay here. And hi, Sumia." She flashed the aforementioned girl a smile. "Taking a break from training?"

"Yes, actually! I wasn't thinking of going here, but I thought that maybe I could check up on your sister. Just to make sure she's alright, you know? But now that you've mentioned it, maybe I'll go visit the library later. It _does_ have such a wonderful collection of books—it's so kind of Captain to let me stay there and read." Sumia's voice dripped with admiration, either from the thought of books or the thought of the (admittedly) handsome Prince Chrom.

I mean, come on, the man _was_ good-looking. And he was pretty much the kind of prince that any princess would love to marry at once.

Objectively speaking, of course. Even if I ended up actually interested in him... it wouldn't work out in the long run. There was no benefit to dallying with a commoner. And while I wasn't sure how _marriage_ worked out with royalty (if I had to think that far ahead), the lack of a dowry was a huge 'stay away' sign.

But before I could think further on that strange topic, a thought occurred to me.

"Wait, go back a bit. Regna Ferox? That nation up north that's seen more snow than sun?" I asked.

Robin _mm-hmmed_ as she plopped her newest stack of books on the desk, which I hoped was just my imagination after hearing it _groan_ from all that additional weight. Robin paused as she stared at the desk, and seconds later, she decided to transfer at least one stack to the bed I figured was hers for now. She breathed a sigh of relief after the desk remained whole and not a splintered mess on the floor.

She then turned to me. "That's right—or at least, that's what I'd say if I already knew; Sumia told me where it was, exactly. I promise I'll tell you everything soon, but you'll want to hear this first: I'm now officially the Shepherds' tactician. Hold your applause, please."

I rolled my eyes at her wry expression. Sumia found herself smiling as she watched us.

But then her eyes widened as she seemed to suddenly remember something. She immediately turned towards the door. "Oh, pegasus poop. I hate to leave when I've just arrived, but I'll have to take my leave right now. I can't believe I _forgot_ that Cordelia wanted to meet up with me in ten minutes! I mean, how is that even possible when she's my best friend?"

Without giving us a chance to open our mouths, the girl made a beeline for the door. I hoped she didn't trip on her way out—

Too late.

I decided to pretend I didn't see anything and returned my gaze to Robin, who shook her head in bemusement before sitting down on the chair beside the desk.

"So… who's coming then?" I asked after Sumia was gone from sight.

"Oh, that's right, you haven't met them yet. It's going to be pointless if I mentioned any names you've yet to know, so I'll just say, for now, that nearly everyone from the Shepherds are going." Robin answered. She began sorting her books into a neater pile. "What about you? Do _you_ want to come, too? You're the only one who has yet to make a decision, I think."

"Really? Honestly, I'm not sure." I admitted, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck.

Part of the reason why I thought of staying behind was because I decided I wanted to deal with something that was starting to annoy me the longer I knew it was there. I didn't want to be fully pissed off by my disability to remember my old memories just because it was so buried deep underneath by all of my new memories. It was a miracle that I still remembered that I was a reincarnation of my past self. Even then, was it really a miracle, or a burden?

'Sides, at this point in time, I was starting to believe that I would _need_ them. Not _all_ the time, but during the times when they mattered. I was only more convinced that I _should_ do something after having that strange dream earlier. After all, if I still had my memories intact, I might have avoided Robin's amnesia. I would know what _caused_ it, at least.

Hell, I was feeling thankful enough that I finally remembered who freakin' Lucina was (seriously, that was one bad case of the whole tip-of-the-tongue concept). It's just... I didn't find myself content knowing just that.

Robin paused and put down the book she'd been holding, eyeing me questioningly. "Is this about…? Well, you know."

"Partly." I was going to allow that much as an honest answer.

"You still wanted some more space, is that it?" Robin asked almost hesitantly. This was, clearly, awkward territory she'd just stepped into. "I mean, this new mission doesn't require everyone to come, after all. It's okay if you end up saying no."

"Well…" I started, trying to find a way to phrase this nicely. "I suppose so. Having time to reflect stuff does sound nice. Something tells me that going along with the Ferox trip wouldn't give me any breathing space. And besides, the only reason I left home was to find you. I'm at crossroads."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't a complete truth, either. I love my sister no matter what, but other than the fact that I wanted to realize what direction I wanted to take now, there was something I wanted to accomplish without anyone finding out. Even her.

Because if I succeeded in discovering how I could manipulate my own magic into making my mind recall my memories of old, it would be a great help. To my own survival, if I had to give myself a good reason.

This was where the Ylisstol library came in; I knew I was going to need time to read a lot. Maybe I could accomplish something in five days. Maybe not. If the latter was the case, I could get more time accomplishing my new goal while the Shepherds were out traveling north. It took a week, more or less, just to reach Regna Ferox.

Robin finally sighed after a few seconds of silence. "Well, I know I can't stop you."

"Hey, I haven't said no yet. Only time will tell, really." I said half-reassuringly. It was the best answer I could give at the moment as my mind started thinking of _how_ I was going to execute my plan.

"I hope you come to a decision once five days are up, then. We'd love to have you on board." Robin said, her tone neutral. She glanced at her numerous books. "Well, it seems that I know what _I'm_ doing for the meantime."

Ah, a topic change. This was much welcomed.

"Just remember to go out sometime to see the sunshine," I said dryly and wondered if Robin could accomplish reading all those books in five days, anyway. "And don't outlast the wax of your candles tonight. Yes, _candles_. I know for a fact you'll use more than one." I grinned. "But in any case, I think I'll go head out and do some exploring. Stretch my legs and all that. It's noontime, isn't it?"

Robin nodded. "It is. You slept the whole morning away. You feel better now, right?"

"Heaps."

"That's good."

I headed towards the doorway, but before I walked down the corridor outside, I turned to Robin, who was now poring over her first book of the day.

"And obviously, we're in Ylisstol. We've been here before, actually." I said and watched her eyebrows raise in surprise, looking up from what she'd started reading. "Heh, you should see the look on your face. I'll tell you all about it sometime. For now, I'm heading out."

My sister finally smiled. "Sure. And this time, come back unscathed, all right?"

"I'll try."

And I was gone. I heard her chuckle as I walked away from the room.

Well, I just hope that the nostalgia trip in walking down the streets of Ylisstol wasn't going to bother me. But then again, who knew what would happen the moment I stepped out of this place? Considering that it was barely past noontime, there were plenty more room for a lot of stuff to happen. I might not even end up wandering around the city.

Ah, well, I'll be fine, regardless.

...I hope.

* * *

 **Well, that dream sequence may or may not be... I don't know, strange. But I did find it incredibly fun to write. Which is what matters in the end, right? Also, yeah, the last part on here is pretty much something I thought of (while I wasn't busy with classes) recently that might just work out. If River's going to gain some sort of new power or something, I'll be damned if she doesn't earn it herself. No divine intervention here, sorry~**

 **That said, here's the usual reminder that reviews are love, and honest feedback is greatly appreciated. Heck, the previous ones helped me a lot since I'm never confident of my own skills. It's a writer thing, I guess, lol. See y'all next chapter!**


	9. Chapter Seven

**I'm so sorry it took this long to publish a chapter; college has been keeping me busy these days. Been focusing on my group's baby thesis and stuff. I've tried to get this written out as soon as I could. My mind's a mess from everything I had to deal with.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **-oo-**

Wanna know what became apparent the moment I took my first few steps outside the room Robin and I shared?

It was the fact that if there was something I ought to do _first and foremost_ , it was to backtrack to the room, grab my coin purse and spare clothes, go back out, and dash towards the nearest bathhouse I could find.

Because, gods, I realized I still wore my clothes from yesterday and it reeked of dried sweat. I usually changed _and_ bathed daily, but with everything that's happened recently, I never had the chance to freshen up. This right here was the result of such negligence.

Call me overly-hygienic, but that was the way I tended to roll.

Besides, it was embarrassing to be around people when I knew I stink. Twice as embarrassing when I took into account the fact that the stench of the rotten undead clung to my clothes, too. Eurgh. Suddenly, it was a _good_ thing I hadn't met the rest of the Shepherds yet—I was pretty sure most of them came from a noble family. And if I ended up making a fool out of myself in front of them, I'd never live it down. I'd have to find a rock and hide underneath it. Maybe forever.

After the chaos that was yesterday, thank Naga for the opportunity to take a break and go back to something resembling normalcy. Five days was a _lot_ of downtime.

"And thus, bath time awaits. I sure look forward to washing my clothes in the future, too, if I don't find a laundress willing to work for free." I muttered under my breath as I stopped from my walk, turning around and returning to the room with as much dignity as a backtracking fifteen-year-old girl could manage.

Note to self: speaking to one's self is unhealthy. Stop that.

"You know, I didn't think you'd be gone for so long." Robin wryly said, looking up from her book as she heard the door creak open. I stepped forward, eyes searching the room for my backpack. "I almost considered putting up plenty of missing person posters."

"Funny. Last I checked, it's only been five minutes. For a tactician, your sense of time is atrocious." Ah, sarcasm. I love it when I got the opportunity to use it.

And… oh, so that was where they placed my pack: on the floor, leaning beside the bed. I heard Robin's chuckle as I made a beeline for the thing, shoving my hand inside and fishing for my purse. When I finally grasped the familiar, rough texture that definitely bulged with coins, I pulled it out and dangled it before my sister to show what I've come back for.

"Dare I ask what you need your money for, then? You might want to be careful about spending too much." Robin said, using the same tone from before. She turned another page of her book.

"I've got at least two hundred Gold left; I'll do an odd job or two when I really run low. And to answer your question: why, my dear sister, I'm going to the bathhouse," I replied, my last line sounding like a ridiculous imitation of a noblewoman's tone. I removed my cloak, laid it flat on the bed, and folded it into the neatest square I could manage. Today was definitely a don't-wear-a-cloak day—I hadn't realized how stuffy I'd felt in it until I removed the thing and felt the cool air on my skin. I then pulled out my spare clothes… and smallclothes… and draped them over my shoulder. "I could make a skunk smell fragrant just by standing beside it."

I gave the tactician a meaningful look. It was returned with several blinks. And a twitch of her nose.

"Oh… right. After last night, a good, long wash is definitely called for. I thought I'd let you find that out for yourself. Less embarrassing that way." Robin admitted. Rather sheepishly, in fact. When her eyes slid back down towards the page she'd stopped, her eyes widened slightly and she couldn't help but murmur, "Oh, that's interesting. I never thought _that_ could be executed in so creative a way…"

Clearly, her book was starting grab her attention once more. And even more clearly, talking to thin air was something that ran in the family. Why hadn't I noticed that all this time?

Well. Anyway. That, right there, was my cue to get my butt out of here.

"Okay, okay, I'll leave you alone now." I grinned at her, though she wouldn't notice my expression with her eyes glued to her book and all. "There is no way I could compete against a book for your attention."

I slipped out of the doorway. The only thing I heard from her was a small sound of assent—and an amused snort—before I was completely gone.

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

It turned out that the barracks wasn't exactly too far from the castle where Chrom and Lissa (Frederick as well, perhaps?) lived. In fact, I would say that if I wanted to go there, all I had to do was walk straight until I reached the wide dirt road stretching across me. All I had to do next was take a right; up, up, up on the slope I'd go, and voila, Castle Ylisstol (I didn't really know what the castle was called, so I made one up).

But, since _that_ wasn't where I needed to go at the moment, I turned left and carefully walked downwards until the ground leveled out and was replaced by the cobblestone roads.

Or at least, that was what I _meant_ to do. Before I could take my first, actual, step down the slope, I heard someone call my name from behind. I stopped and turned to acknowledge whoever it was…

Oh.

"Hi there, Frederick! I see you're… uh…" And that was how my greeting crashed and burned. I realized I didn't really know _how_ to interact with the knight outside of battle. And without the royal siblings around, the awkwardness weighed heavily in the air. "Er, never mind. I didn't know what you were doing."

"I'm clearing the road of stray rocks and pebbles, actually." He helpfully answered for me. I tried not to look shocked. Or completely weirded out. Because if he hadn't sounded strange then, the hint of a proud expression on his face made him edge towards that particular adjective in general.

 _How in the world did he end up deciding that clearing the road of rubble would make for a good afternoon pastime?_

"That… sounds like quite the task." It was the best thing I could say. I mean, I couldn't speak my mind to someone who could easily toss me to the dungeons, right? If the Exalted family had one, anyway.

…On second thought, the previous Exalt, Chrom's deceased father, _was_ someone who was more or less a nutcase with his unprecedented "holy purge" (more like genocide) against the Grimleal in Plegia. Dungeons might not have seemed far-fetched, then.

Makes me wonder how in the world Chrom, Lissa, and Her Grace, Exalt Emmeryn, ended up raised well, actually. But that was another can of worms meant to be opened later. Not today.

"It is best to ensure that no one suffers an accident by tripping, after all. I dare not imagine the catastrophe of someone turning an ankle in the middle of an errand." Frederick explained, still blissfully unaware that I had no idea what to make of his apparent obsession for keeping things in order, whether it was part of his job or not.

"I doubt that's going to stop Sumia from tripping," I instantly replied. And if I hadn't held back my right hand, I might have slapped it over my mouth because I did _not_ mean to say that. Sumia just gave me a strong enough impression that the word 'tripping' was enough to make me think of her at once. The Shepherd-in-training was practically a personification of that very word.

Thankfully, Frederick didn't seem to take any offense for Sumia. In fact, he regarded me as pleasantly as ever.

"Ah, so you've met her already. But yes, that is unfortunately true." Frederick admitted.

Ouch.

"Um. Okay, then… that's just… terrible. Well, at least everyone else's ankles are safe, thanks to you, I suppose?" I decided to say. But before I end up completely ruining whatever first good impression I've long since given the knight, I added, "Anyway, I better go. I, um, have the need to wash up. Like, right now." I turned away from him. But before I've taken my first few steps away from him, I halted and looked back at the knight again. This time, a guilty expression was on my face. "And, I'm so sorry if I've been such a bother to you and to everyone else recently. I thought I just needed to say that since you've given me the opportunity to do so."

There was the briefest look of mild surprise on Frederick's face before his ever-so-formal one returned. I suppose he hadn't expected me to bring that up.

"That's quite alright, River. You seem better now, at least." Frederick nodded at me. "I should hope, in turn, that there are no hard feelings between us from the way I've regarded you and your sister yesterday. You've done more than enough to prove your innocence—and hers."

Acceptance. That… made me feel warm on the inside, actually.

"None at all. You're just doing your job—I think it's a huge responsibility, so when I say I understand, I _mean_ I understand. In fact, feel free to come to me anytime if something else about Robin concerns any of you guys. I owe you all that much." I finally smiled at him, though it was a hesitant one. "And thank you. For the concern, I mean."

And then I thought that the small, small smile Frederick returned made him look… well, much more than a knight who was too serious for his own good. And fine, no more beating around the bush—more like, he looked much more approachable that way. Also, admittedly, handsome.

…That last part was just me being a girly-girl. Bite me.

"You're welcome. But before you go, it has occurred to me that right now is a good opportunity to inform you about our training session later."

"Training session?" I echoed. Confusion dripped heavily from those words that came out of my mouth.

"I'm not surprised that you have forgotten. Several hours ago, you've mentioned something about wanting to return to your daily routine or some such. Thus, I should say it's apt that you participate in our daily sessions as well—you _are_ a Shepherd now, after all. It would also be a good way to meet the rest of the group, if I am correct in guessing you have yet to do so."

"Yes, you're right. And I see… _that_ training session." I nodded knowingly while inwardly thinking, _Holy shit, I can't remember when I said that._ "Well, alrighty then. It's settled. I'll definitely see you later. And now I'll, uh, just leave you to your knightly duty of keeping the roads clear. When does the training start?"

"It's an hour from now, River. I trust you will be there on time."

"I will be. _Robin's_ the one who tends to be tardy." I couldn't help but smirk at that one. My sisters' penchant for book-reading could make her forget the time of day. "Good thing I'm around to keep her in line. That said, see you later. Oh, and if you could pass a small message to Chrom about me needing his permission for the castle library's access, that would be _grand_. Thank you!"

"I'll make sure that he hears it. Go on, I shan't keep you."

After shooting him a more genuine smile, I hurried downwards. I _might_ have also been too fast than what was normal.

In fact, I reached the city proper faster than I thought… if my slightly aching legs were of any indication of that.

As I took in the sight of the buildings around me, I'd just realized that growing up sure put in a different perspective into things. Not in the whole the-buildings-weren't-as-big-as-I-thought kind of way, but more like… Ylisstol not being the picture-perfect city like I used to think it was.

I mean, yes, there was always something about the city and its differently-sized buildings that made a village girl like me gape in wonder. But, there was no mistaking the signs of wear and tear from some of them, either, indicating that their owners didn't have enough funds for repairs and maintenance. It actually made me want to wonder how Ylisse was faring economically; all those Plegians nipping at the borders and stealing resources was certainly not doing the realm any favors. Especially when Ylisse hardly had the military power to repel the attacks. There was only so much ground the Shepherds could cover…

And, okay, in terms of people… Ylisse might have gained a reputation as the most peaceful nation in this part of the continent, but that didn't mean all people inhabiting it were the epitome of goodness like its ruler. Sure, some of the city folk still gave me polite hellos or friendly smiles as I passed by them down the street, but there were also some that either regarded me stoically or sneered at me like I was the cause of their bad day. I was also pestered by the occasional beggar as I walked down the streets.

In fact, I was all too happy to be finally inside the bathhouse and neck-deep in lukewarm water. Not that the pool was really _deep_ , per se, just that I'd sunk myself low enough in the water to hide the rest of my body because when they say public bathhouse, they meant _public_ bathhouse.

It wasn't the awkwardness of not being the only person in the nude that made me do that, however. Never; this was a norm here. But rather, well… I just had the tendency to feel really insecure when I noticed how the other girls my age matured better. Physically, I mean. They had the chest, the curves, and everything—and here I am, still easily mistaken for a kid. Looking down at my body reminded me of that every time.

…Come to think of it, even _Lissa_ beat me by a landslide in that department. It was actually kind of unfair.

"But I really shouldn't think about it. I really, really, _really_ shouldn't, because I am not shallow and I _refuse_ to be that sort of person." I couldn't help but murmur to myself, splashing water on my face.

Teenagers, am I right?

So… moving on from that silly thought… I ought to start planning out how I was going to spend my five days. With only me inside dipped in the pool so far, the quiet helped me think.

Alright, so I was pretty sure that healing-related magic was going to be my key to developing a spell that restored my memories or enhanced my mind in recalling them. Simply put, I needed something to guide me through any future events so I could avoid stumbling about as I went on. Two near-death situations were too plenty for one lifetime, thanks.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but hey, mages throughout the centuries have done all sorts of experiments before. If they could do it, so could I.

I didn't need to recover _all_ of my memories, though. Just the ones relevant to this world. I might be a reincarnation of my old self, but I didn't want to always remember the life I've long since lost. I was River now, and like I've said before, nothing was going to change that. If I could also restore Robin's memories as well, however, it was all the better.

 _That_ was a very good motivator to learn something new.

Obviously, I'd have to find out how long the daily training sessions lasted first. I needed to craft a schedule around it; I didn't have room for chaos right now. Mother had always said that being systematic is key, after all.

In fact, hmm… maybe I should have Lissa or some other healer teach me how to do healing spells, too. I'd have to learn it once I started applying what I've studied from the many different books I'll be reading, anyway. It would be a handy skill to have on a journey, and it wasn't as if I'm the only one going to benefit from it.

Wait, but that would also mean that I _didn't_ have to be in the front lines always—

"Did you hear?"

My thoughts were interrupted by a woman who sounded like she was about to reveal some extremely juicy gossip. I guess my alone time in the bath house was over; turning my head slightly to my left revealed two women stepping into the pool for a bath. I looked away before they make the mistake of thinking I was ogling at them.

"Hear what?" The other asked.

"Something happened last night. These creatures… Risen, I believe they're called, plague the lands now. It's hard to believe that an earthquake happened last night when it's been so peaceful here in the city, don't you think? It's so scary when I think about it!"

Thanks to that woman's shrill voice, I was quite sure that I would still overhear their every word even if I had no intentions of eavesdropping. I contemplated submerging myself underwater.

"Truly? Gods know how hard Exalt Emmeryn is ignoring the Plegian attacks as it is. And now… this? We would need more than the Shepherds if we're to deal with all these problems." The woman said thoughtfully. "How did you find out about that, anyway? I daresay I haven't heard anything from the others this afternoon."

"Well, you do remember my sweetheart in the castle, don't you? He's told me all about it the moment his shift was over. Happened to be one of the men standing guard when the war council was ongoing, he was!" The woman giggled.

I heard a sigh. "Rather, you squeezed out that information from him because your curiosity can't be sated."

"Why, my dear, I don't know what you're talking about."

Silence ensued. Three seconds, I'd counted.

"Oh, whatever, act coy if you wish. Still, if all that's going to happen these days involve watching these problems pile up higher and higher, I'd _hope_ that the Exalt finally puts her foot down and _at least_ deal with the Plegians. Less stress, if you ask me."

"Oh? She seems to be doing fine still… I don't know what you mean."

I could have sworn the other muttered, "Of course you wouldn't." under her breath, and I had to pinch my thigh, hard, just to stop myself from reacting in any way.

"I meant to say that I think Her Grace is trying _too_ hard to remain peaceful these days. It's bordering on ridiculous. By the time she accepts that a war with Plegia is inevitable, the Mad King and his army will be right by our doorstep. Combine that with those so-called Risen, and it will be a miracle if Ylisse remains intact from the onslaught."

"Oh, now I see. But lower your voice, please. That sort of opinion isn't what people like to hear—you know how nearly every Ylissean adores our leader."

"I'd say that I don't care a whit, but fine. I won't risk treason, just for you. But I'm just saying… There are times when I wonder if there's more to our Exalt than staying so irritably _passive_. I wonder if she's doing the right thing. Making the right decisions." I heard the water splash, as if the woman was making small waves with her hand. "Sometimes, we see her as the best Exalt that Ylisse has ever had. Once everyone had gotten past the whole she-might-be-like-her-father part, anyway. But sometimes, _I_ end up seeing her as someone… too naïve and idealistic, I suppose. Another person would have dealt with this situation so much better."

"Who, her younger brother? Although… I don't really know what _I_ should think about her. She's proven to be leagues better than her father, and I _do_ feel sorry for being part of the group that despised her and her family, once upon a time. I can't have asked for a better life under her rule."

The serious woman let out another sigh. "I wish that life was so much simpler. I could do without a mess like this…"

And that was where the briefly serious topic stopped and the woman decided to move on to talking about more trivial things.

As for me, I'd say that bath time was over and I'd overheard enough. The longer I stayed in water, the more wrinkly my fingertips would look. I couldn't have that, so without further ado, I stood up from the pool, grabbed my clothes and towel, and left to change.

I later emerged from the bathhouse in a simple, yellow shirt and a pair of trousers, having every intention to return to the barracks and find Frederick—if he wasn't in the castle, watching over Chrom and Lissa, anyway.

Speaking of Frederick, though, half of me was feeling _eager_ at whatever challenges awaited me later. I loved challenges. But, on the other hand, another half wanted to dread what the man had in store for me—and for everyone else involved. My gut feeling was leaning on not-so-awesome, and possibly, torture.

I seriously have no idea what I'd signed myself up for.

One way to find out, I guess…?

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

Knocked on my ass for the umpteenth time. That was what basically happened, one hour later, after Frederick met me by the barracks and brought me to the training grounds located in the vicinity of the so-dubbed Castle Ylisstol. Apparently, that was the location where Chrom usually brought the Shepherds to train. It _did_ seem like an ideal place; it was large, and wide, though walled off from the outside. The walls had a few cracks here and there, though, showing signs that it had been accidentally hit one too many times.

I noticed Chrom, who had been sparring with a blond-haired, brawny man called Vaike, spare me a look of sympathy. The kind that spoke volumes about whom I'd ended up sparring with. He never got the chance to actually say anything, though, because he had to return his attention towards his rival (or at least, that was what Vaike proclaimed himself as. Loudly. And _always_ , apparently) at once. He promptly blocked an incoming blow.

"Nice try," Chrom said. From the smirk on his face, it was impossible to say that he wasn't enjoying this spar. After all, nothing could fire up a person the way a match with a rival could.

"I'll give you that. But keep your eyes away from Teach long enough, and you're gonna lose this round." Vaike shot back easily, a toothy grin on his face. "Which I'm totally fine with. Hell, maybe you ought to consider throwing in the towel."

"Not a chance," came Chrom's quick response, pushing the other man back and breaking their stalemate. They returned to exchanging blows, each one harder than the previous.

From a distance away from the two, Lissa looked on with a hint of worry on her face; something told me she knew how _intense_ the two men could get. Beside her was a bored-looking, blond-haired girl, carrying herself in a way that was far too common amongst uppity nobles. Which she was one, actually; she was a daughter of the Duke of Themis. From what I remembered from many, many minutes ago, her name was Maribelle, another healer and Lissa's good friend. She'd been civil enough to me before, I guess, but it had been made clear that I was hardly much of note to her.

There were also some other Shepherds around whom I'd just met, like Stahl, Miriel and Ricken (oh, and Kellam, who was so quiet it was as if he was never there) but the current circumstances meant that I wasn't going to be given much notice, even after a brief introduction. Everyone was just too busy either practicing with their weapons or sparring with someone else. Or in the case of the mages here, studying in a comfortable spot.

Not that I wanted attention, anyway. Spotlights were never meant for me.

I shook my head and returned my focus towards my own sparring partner, reaching for my practice sword that lay several feet to my right. If my body hadn't ached from all the fighting I've done the other night, it certainly did now.

I swear my backside was starting to feel numb, what with me hitting the ground with it often enough that I no longer felt the pain from my fall. Gods. And to think, it hadn't been too long since _Robin_ did the same thing to me.

That thought made my chest hurt for a second. _Shake it off_.

Alright, but if anything, today's spar showed that I was definitely better off fighting as a mage instead of a wannabe swordsman. I still wished I actually fought with a tome last night, actually, if I hadn't been stupid enough to leave the camp without a weapon. But I kept up my swordsmanship training, anyway. It helped to have something to fall back on if I lost my tome in the middle of a fight.

"I'm starting to believe you're enjoying this," I murmured to my partner, standing up and wiping some sweat away from my forehead. It was times like this that I sort of regretted keeping my bangs trimmed; they made me feel the heat a lot more than usual, sticking to my forehead in ugly clumps when drenched with sweat. And if they got long enough, they made my eyes itch.

"You're resilient, which is an admirable trait. And to be fair, you seem to be learning from each loss. You have nearly disarmed me with that last strike." My partner, _Frederick_ , told me. And here I wonder why I'd expected not to get my ass returned on a silver platter. "I'd say that you'll want to improve on your upper arm strength, however. It was not difficult to notice the way your arms shook when you blocked my blow. Say, is that the reason why you were keener on avoiding blows than blocking or parrying them?"

"Yes. And as for that part about my arms," I rubbed my upper arm with a grimace, feeling like it was set on fire. Repeatedly. " _To be fair,_ you hit so hard it's a miracle they're still attached to my body. I hope you realize that we've already had nearly a dozen rounds of sparring—and that was _after_ you made me swing my sword at least a hundred times. Shouldn't be so surprising that they'd shake like a leaf at times."

A small smile spread on Frederick's face, one that heavily hinted at amusement. "And yet you said not a single word about stopping the drill. Not a single complaint. As I've said, it's impressive how you've lasted this long."

"Please. You're, ah, the one I'd sooner end up impressed with. You hardly look winded while I'm at the brink of exhaustion." I pointed out. I might have blushed a bit from his compliment at the same time, looking anywhere _but_ at him. "I'm actually jealous."

"I _do_ have to be at my best when it comes to ensuring the safety of Prince Chrom and Princess Lissa, you know. As their knight, I cannot give any less than one hundred percent." The knight responded. "But you, on the other hand… I must admit that not a lot of people work as hard as you do."

 _That's because no one else has ended up reincarnated into a world that was supposedly fictional_ , was what I'd ended up thinking, looking back at him in mild surprise.

"Well, my father had always encouraged Robin and I to work hard at what we do." I said instead. A fond expression formed on my face. Now that I thought about it, I should write to my parents when I got the chance; they needed to know that Robin and I were fine. Relatively, in Robin's case. "And my mother would support that frame of thinking and make sure that we did. Your strictness reminded me of her, actually." I awkwardly rubbed of my neck as I added, "Also, even if Robin would never show it, I'm sure she could use all the sisterly support I can give. And if _I'm_ not at my best, I'll have a hard time doing that."

Was it just me, or was there a hint of respect on Frederick's face the moment I said all of that? His eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly.

"I see. Well, then, I should say that I would be most willing to help you with that." Frederick nodded at me in approval. "You have no objections about the intensity of my drills, then? I must admit that there are some who would make one."

I shrugged and shook my head. My ponytailed hair swished from the movement. "Nope. It's taxing on the body, but I'll never end up developing anything if I don't go over and beyond. As they say, no pain, no gain."

"As long as you don't end up ill in the process, of course."

"Right. Limits." That was true; overexert one's self, and they would find themselves suffering for it. "And you… you know, you can stand to be a little less formal around me, Frederick. I won't ever mind... in fact, I'd breathe easier around you. Also breaks. I appreciate what you're doing for all of us—even me—but I think that even _you_ deserve to rest… and have _some_ fun, I guess."

That _might_ have been sitting in my mind during the course of the practice session. And it needed to be said, anyway.

"I'm afraid that there's nothing to be done about that. That is simply the way I am." The knight simply said. Then he readjusted his grip on his practice sword, stepping back and forming a battle stance. I raised my eyebrows at the way he just dodged what I'd just said, but decided to say nothing. Our break time had been long enough. "Now come, River, let us resume our spar. Ready yourself. And I expect you to properly disarm me, this time. I'll teach you how you could do it better, if you still can't."

"…Fine." I let out a small sigh and readied my own stance, ignoring the way my muscles protested at each movement. "But you're carrying me back if we go way overboard, okay? And not to suddenly change the topic, but has Chrom…?"

"He has. I'll personally escort you to the library myself, when you finally wish to go there."

"Goodie. Thank you, again. I definitely owe you one now."

"You can repay me by doing so much better this time. Here I go."

And that was the moment when I got thoroughly thrashed—yet again—by the force of nature known as Frederick the Wary.

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

"So, how did it go?" Robin asked when I entered our room again; I'd told her what I'll be up to for the rest of the day. A different book lay open on her desk this time, and curiously enough, there was now an addition of a rolled-up map lying beside a stack of books. And an oil lamp, seeing as the sun was steadily setting over the horizon by now. Thank goodness she'd left her room, even just to grab some things from somewhere else.

As for that question of hers: oh, I don't know. My whole body was _despairing_ for rest and relaxation because Frederick also made me run several laps with him around the vicinity of the castle. And then he had me dodging projectiles after another very brief break, doing push ups… and gods know what else. My mind didn't want to remember the rest of it. It was a miracle to still be able to walk back to the barracks.

Also, I was pretty sure I impressed the shit out of the other Shepherds. They'd stared at me, wide-eyed, at how I was still _alive_ after going through that particular kind of hell. And determined to have another go at it the next time.

So much for avoiding attention. How the hell would I know that I could be almost as ridiculous as Frederick, when pressed?

"River, you're spacing out."

"Oh. Oops. Well, no words will be able to describe it." I finally said, plopping myself down on the bed. I didn't realize how utterly _exhausted_ I was until I felt my body sink on the mattress. "I'd say you'll only understand once you've joined in on the fun, as well."

Robin's eyes slid away from her books and rested on me. She took note of the visible exhaustion on my face, the way I laid on the bed, unmoving. I gave her a lopsided smile.

"I'll settle on 'save yourself while you can' then." Robin dryly said afterwards.

"Maybe." I replied. "At least, try to save yourself from getting Frederick as a sparring partner, anyway. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to promptly pass out."

And I did.

* * *

 **Yeah, I suppose this chapter was more... expository (?) than anything else, really. Also, what happened may or may not be the equivalent of a support conversation. It was fun, though. Fun to write once I got my mind sorted out. :D And, yes, there will be more, though not just with one person. Pairings, if I really have to think about them, are still undecided.  
**

 **Thanks as usual, to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed my story! I try to respond to everyone whenever I could. To everyone signed in, anyway. XP**


	10. Chapter Eight

**A/N:** I'm not dead~! The last few months just got a liiiiittle hectic, that's all. Fine, okay, it was a lot hectic. I'm on my last year of college, after all. That said, I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting. I finished this as soon as I could. It's really filler, this chapter, but I hope you read it all the same because I was hoping I managed to make this one warm and fuzzy. I'll stop here and continue on at the bottom. See you there!

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **-oo-**

"River," Frederick whispered from beside me. "Stop squirming."

If only it were that easy. But alas, I was constantly being bothered by the raised voices in the room—voices that belonged to huffy, stuffy nobles arguing with each other like they knew what was the best for everyone here in Ylisse. And actually, I was pretty sure they didn't. It also didn't help that I was still feeling very sore from the knight's intense training yesterday, and if Frederick hadn't woken me up with a bucket of ice cold water (he'd tried sprinkling my face with lukewarm water earlier, but that didn't work out), I might have ended up sleeping the entire morning away. Or the whole day.

Which was clearly not a good thing if I was going to be a bona fide Shepherd. Some of the things I was used to doing back in my home village was going to be shoved out of the window. Even if it didn't fit through.

"Sorry." I didn't bother looking sheepish. Hell, I didn't bother looking his way, either. Considering that I was currently standing guard for threats in the room as the council "meeting"—I use the term loosely, because, oh gods, this whole thing was a damn headache—went on, I couldn't risk looking unprofessional around these high-ranking Ylisseans. Also, a _real_ castle guard would have his own eyes looking deceptively straight ahead but was, in reality, keeping them wide open and alert for anything that might end up going wrong in the room.

…Or at least, I was pretty sure that was the kind of impression Frederick wanted me to emulate. He was the one that assigned me to guard duty, after all. Although, a part of me thought I ended up with that role today because, frankly, I was the kind of person that one could consider a jack of all trades but a master of none. And as such, they didn't know what kind of role I'd be good at during the brief stay here in Ylisstol.

Also, I was pretty sure that, more or less, I was also given a pass from patrolling with the other Shepherds—Sully, Stahl, Miriel, and Vaike—today because I "looked like hell" and was "more likely to lose all feeling in my legs halfway towards the first town and would therefore have to be carried over one's shoulder like a sack of potatoes."

Because, you know, that was how extreme Frederick's training was and apparently people felt sorry for me. _I_ felt sorry for me, despite my willingness to keep this up so I could get used to it. But for the love of Naga, I might be moving much more stiffly than a gods-damned Risen and was so sore every movement brought fiery pain to my body, that didn't automatically mean I was about to keel over any time soon.

And… fine, I didn't know what my place was among the Shepherds, either. Everyone pretty much knew me by now as Robin's sister, but that was that. And the girl who survived Frederick's training session. Right. I had my self-appointed task of finding out if I could develop some sort of healing magic to enhance my ability to recall my old memories, but I haven't even found out if I was compatible for healing spells. Destruction magic came to me more naturally than the other.

I did caution a swift but subtle glance at Robin in the other side of the room, though. Chrom had insisted that, as the group's new tactician, he come along with her so she could learn more about Ylisse's current condition. But if you ask me, Chrom just wanted my older sister around because he didn't want to go through this kind of hell with just Lissa beside him. There was no mistaking the alarmed look in his eyes whenever he was being focused on by a noble or two when it came to certain decisions that should be made for the halidom. The silent plea for help directed towards the tactician, who wisely said not a word.

Chrom very much resembled a tiny mouse, caught in action by several hungry cats.

(Or maybe, in this case, those cats happen to be _lions_.)

Emmeryn found it amusing every time; her eyes would twinkle. So did Lissa, for that matter. And, okay, Robin too. Frederick simply wanted to palm his face.

...And me? Well, the most I could do was pretend that nothing happened. I was the one cursed with standing beside Mister Wary, after all.

However, the tiny moments of amusement had long since come and gone. And now the atmosphere was more tense than anything else. The nobles couldn't seem to come to an agreement about how the Plegian threat should be handled—and the Risen, now that they were starting to receive more and more word from panicking messengers about Risen sightings during their travels from one place to another. It was getting on my nerves, damn it.

"I say we should just give what Plegia wants and give it the thrashing it deserves!" One noble insisted. He smacked his hands on the table, making the others wince. "We've been standing idly by long enough. I am all for peace, Your Grace, but I believe it's about time we showed that we _can_ fight back against those wretched dogs."

"And I still insist we continue on with our attempts at peace talks with Plegia, no matter how stubborn their king is about wanting a war between us. We need to set an example among the other nations in the continent. We have always valued our peaceful ways, and we will continue to do so. We need to be better than this." Another said in the most diplomatic tone he could muster. It was plain as day that the stress of the whole situation was getting to him, though.

"Do we even have the men to fight Plegia back with anyway, should we end up in war?" Another couldn't help but say, and I appreciated how mellow he was compared to the others. "And are they enough to face their own armies? They've got dark mages by the hundreds, for Naga's sake! I think we need to evaluate how much military power we even have before resorting to violence."

And then the argument went on and on until I was feeling particularly certain that we were, once again, going in circles. I've lost count since the first full circle occurred.

I didn't really know what came over me just then. Whether it was because the nobles started acting like children with their passive-aggressive comments and their constant posturing (oh _gods)_ or I was completely fed up about how they're really proving to the entire council exactly how stuffy and entitled they could get, I would never find out. All I knew was that I just _snapped_ after one particular noble started the whole "My House had served the line of the Exalt for X years and I demand to be treated as befits my station!" speech. Again.

"Well, do you know what _I_ think?" I stepped forward irritably, my voice ringing all across the room. All eyes were on me, but they didn't make me falter one bit. "Either you gentlemen—and ladies—find one solution and _stick with it_ without getting your egos bruised, or we can all be swallowed whole by a horde of Risen and an army of Plegians!"

Suffice to say, I learned a valuable lesson that morning.

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

"It had been bad enough that you could not hold your tongue and interrupted the meeting, but was it really necessary to call Duke Fenwick a—"

"He called me a lowborn brat and many other demeaning terms," I interjected Frederick with a raised hand. He'd ended up taking me to a deserted hallway after the disaster that was this morning's war council. And boy, he looked like he was going to suffer an aneurysm the whole time he excused himself and he dragged me away from the room. His scolding had gone on for a good fifteen minutes. And counting—considering that the meeting should be over by now. Anytime soon, more like. "In the most 'I am leagues better than you' tone I've ever heard in my entire life! I've never heard such a nasally-sounding voice all my life." At Frederick's raised eyebrows, I added, "What was I to do, stand back and take that kind of crap? He practically insulted my parents. Who, by the way, are actually well-off."

"You"—Frederick started, but stopped and took a deep breath, as if attempting to maintain a level tone—"should have dealt with the insult in a different way, instead, if you found it nigh impossible to let those words enter one ear and exit the other. Yes, we can say that perhaps the duke had crossed a line."

"Perhaps? That's a rather diplomatic way of putting it."

"Or perhaps not," the knight continued as if he didn't hear me. "Either way, my point stands. You've behaved poorly back there, River, and you need to realize that your actions would reflect badly on the Shepherds as a whole."

Just like the way one wayward student's actions could reflect poorly on a school he's enrolled at. Alright, I couldn't dispute that. What little anger I had left evaporated to the air, and in its place came the cold, biting shame. I shuffled on my feet and bowed my head. "Fine, you got me there. If the Duke demands I apologize, I'll do so. And if I need to be punished, then so be it."

"However," a smooth, lilting, _female_ voice from our right interrupted us before Frederick could say anything. " _I_ , on the other hand, would say that the 'gracious' duke deserves a tongue-lashing from time to time. And you've given exactly that!"

Elegant, refined, graceful. A noblewoman in every way. Those were some of the few things I could describe Maribelle with as she confidently strode towards us, and there was no mistaking the air of dignity she carried. Well, other than snobbish and prideful. But since I wasn't the receiving end of those particular character traits, she was good in my books. The Duke of Themis' daughter was looking right at me with interest.

"Ah, Maribelle. I apologize on River's behalf for her behavior earlier. I recall your father being in attendance as well, and I assure you that no personal offense had been intended." Frederick said.

"Oh, there is no need for that." Maribelle replied, waving away the apology. "Father is not so easily offended. And he'd told me he found Duke Fenwick's sputtering very entertaining. He's very hard to shut up. And I am not surprised, either; that horrid man had been getting on everyone's nerves lately—I've begun to wonder, myself, how a man with such atrocious manners is continually invited to participate in the decision-making process of the court." She took on a look of disgust. "And you must admit, there is a certain unpleasantness to the way he speaks."

"Amen to that, but…" I blinked in surprise. "Wait. Waaait. _You_ _'re_ not mad?"

Maribelle giggled with the back of her hand covering her mouth. "My dear, no one has been able to render the Duke speechless in ages. And for a commoner to do so and leave the room unscathed? I almost wish I was present to witness the scene. Alas, I'll have to make do with having watched him angrily stomp out of that room with a face that can't be any redder than a tomato."

"If that's the case, I feel like I sorely exist to cause one scene after another." I sighed, flushing slightly. "Gods, no amount of Frederick's hellish training is going to make me live this down."

"You'll recover in time, I'm sure," Frederick said, though I was going to have a hard time believing that. Especially after the lack of sympathy in his tone.

"You've certainly made a far bigger impression than your sister. A more pleasant one, if you may." Maribelle then said. "First, surviving sir Frederick's training, and now… this."

"Erm, I tried, I guess?" I didn't really know what to say to that one. At all. Maribelle being impressed was something that I had a hard time swallowing since she wasn't exactly that warm towards Robin.

"It appears that you did," Maribelle said. And she was _smiling_ at me. "Well! If you'll excuse me, I need to be on my way. Father will want to see me soon, and I've a busy day ahead of me."

"We won't delay you any longer then, Maribelle." Frederick was, as always, polite as can be. Maribelle took that as her cue to take her leave, nodding at me and the knight before finally departing.

But then a thought occurred to me, surfacing and pushing aside the embarrassment currently invading my head. Before the noblewoman could take a step or two away from us, I called out to her. "Hey, wait!"

"Yes? What is it?" Maribelle questioned, turning back to me slightly.

"I don't suppose I can talk to you sometime soon, can I? I mean, you're a healer after all—and I'm a mage—and I was hoping you could help me out with some things healing magic-related. You seem to be well-versed on the topic." I got the feeling that appealing to Maribelle's ego was the most surefire way of getting her to agree. So despite my reservations, those words were what I went with.

And it worked. Maribelle actually looked flattered, if the way her smile grew brighter were of any indication. " _You_ , at least, know how to deliver a compliment properly. I think I have no responsibilities to handle on the next day. I shall seek you out then."

Then she left, leaving me with my own small smile on my face as it finally sunk in that I managed to get some progress on my plans. Unfortunately, the smile didn't last long because I then remembered that Frederick was in the middle of making sure I really learned the error of my ways. I shyly looked up at the knight, a kind of action I remembered doing once or twice whenever Robin reprimanded me about my screwups. Maybe there was something about the way I did it, because Frederick actually lost a bit of his edge and looked at me a little less sternly than before.

"I'm really, really sorry, okay?" I decided to add for good measure.

Frederick stared at me for one second, sighed and shook his head. "River, I swear…"

I'm… what? My expression reflected the question as I stared up at him.

"…No, it's nothing. Come, we're going to be checking if everything back at the barracks. I do believe we also have a number of weapons in need of polishing…"

I already knew what he meant. "I'll make them shine so hard, you'll go blind."

"Good." The smile on Frederick's face just now wasn't exactly… reassuring. "Because that will not be the only thing you'll be tasked with. I'm glad to see you're eager to make up for your earlier blunder, however."

I was pretty sure that 'eager' wasn't going to describe me best later.

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

Weapons all polished and arranged on the rack? Check.

Training grounds swept of any fallen leaves and cleared of any accident-inducing rubble? One weird task overall, but yep, check. Also: rest in peace, arms.

Tents and other necessities prepared for the trip to Ferox (even though I haven't thought on whether I should really go)? Checkaroo.

I practically dragged my feet through the ground as I went to report to Frederick about finishing everything that he asked me to do. We were currently by the arched doorway leading to the castle's training grounds—with Frederick keeping watch over the sparring session—and from where I stood, I could easily see the sparring match that was occurring between Chrom and Robin. The way those two moved made me think that despite my focus on my training, they'd still end up leagues better than me. Although…

Y'know, I was starting to notice more and more how those two were practically made for each other. I mean, I still remembered that Robin would undoubtedly grow a bond with the prince, but I didn't realize until now significant that bond could actually become. I wasn't really disapproving about whatever direction their relationship could take; after all, whoever managed to drag my sister away from her books and brought out into the great outdoors was very, very good in my books. It was just that… well, I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous about how comfortable the two are around each other.

That Robin would've been that comfortable around me if she didn't lose her memories.

"Is everything done?" Frederick said as he tore his gaze away from the sparring match, having noticed me come closer. I immediately shoved away any sad thoughts and nodded in affirmation.

"Yep," I replied, rubbing my forearm. "And before you ask, yes, the tents are folded just the way you demonstrated to me. And the bedrolls are… well, rolled. Neatly."

That brought an approving expression to the knight's face. Honestly, he should really smile more often. "That is good to hear."

"Anything else I need to do, Frederick?" I asked. But on the inside, I was praying to every deity out there that he'd say no.

The gods seemed to have listened, because the man shook his head.

"I believe that's all we need have done for the day." He said. And then he took on an amused tone as he noticed my ill-concealed relief. "Though you could stand to be a little less happy than that. The kind of work you just performed is hardly on the level I do on a daily basis."

I crossed my arms. "Yes, well, you're Frederick. Your normal is not my normal." I glanced aside at Robin and Chrom, who were actually enjoying their time together. I tried not to flinch as my sister received a nasty blow from the strike that she didn't manage to block in time. Robin frowned for a moment, later smirking as she immediately returned the favor by faking an attack and successfully hitting the prince's unguarded spot. Thank the gods those swords were blunt as a club. "Anyway, I guess I ought to go spar, too. Daily training and all that."

"I can train you again today, if you wish. I've the time." The knight then offered.

The memories of yesterday flashed by my head, reminding me exactly what I was going to be in for if I actually said yes. A simple sword fight wasn't going to be the only thing on the agenda—I was a hundred and ten percent sure of it. I still needed to recover from that one since I was still adjusting to his training.

"Tempting, but I'd rather not monopolize your time." I said, hoping that I'd sounded tactful enough. After rummaging my thoughts for a legitimate reason, I added, "Besides, I ought to learn how to fight against different fighting styles. All I've got for training partners in the past—other than you—was Robin and my parents. Well, that is, Mom was more of the magicky kind of person while dad preferred melee attacks."

I think Frederick didn't find any fault with that logic. It was hard to tell what the man thought.

"Alright. But tomorrow, we resume what we've started yesterday."

"Deal."

It was just then that we heard Robin and Chrom's voice grow louder. Turning towards them revealed that they were finally done with their practice, and despite the sweat on their faces that indicated just how intense their fight was, they were grinning like they just had a pretty fun game. Heck, maybe it was; it wasn't like I could hear them from over here. I quickly grabbed the towels from the bench by the cracked (Chrom's doing, no doubt) stone wall and handed it over to the two. I actually felt a bit happier when Robin smiled at me gratefully. It reminded me of the good old days, odd as that sounded.

"You might have to fix your ponytail, Robin," I pointed out with a wry smile of my own. Some of the strands had gotten loose from her hair tie. "Unless you're planning on shutting yourself in the room again like yesterday. If that's the case, never mind."

My sister tucked the loose hair behind her ears before burying her face on the towel. "Duly noted. Though... honestly, I probably would have finished my last book if Chrom here hadn't hidden it somewhere. He"—she looked at him accusingly and crossed her arms—"kept distracting me from deducing where he'd put it. And he's actually doing a good job."

"It's the only way to get you out of that room," Chrom said as his explanation, shrugging. "You'll get back at the end of the day—provided that you stop confining yourself to your room like that."

Robin lightly smacked the prince on the arm. A part of me then thought that, yeah, those two have definitely become fast friends. Probably well on their way to attaining best friend status by the end of the month. Or less, if they spent their time together like this again. The fact that my sister probably would have been fine without me kind of stung, though. She's moving forward in life at a quicker pace while I'm struggling to make a single step just to catch up.

Stupid amnesia.

Regardless of what I felt on the inside, I grinned. There was no way I'm allowing depression to creep in and stay. "Sorry about that, Chrom. If it helps, you're doing a far better job than I at keeping my dear sister away from her books even just for five minutes. Our mother had to lock the door to the mini library once just to get her to spend some time outdoors."

"It still strikes me as odd to hear that I have a family, admittedly," Robin said, still going through the high of a good fight. But after she saw my expression flicker, she sobered up and added, "But all the same, I'm glad I do. It means I was never alone. Um. Sorry about that, River."

"It's fine." I said, waving off the apology.

"Well, anyway," Chrom redirected the conversation before it could head anywhere he couldn't handle. He looked at Frederick. "I see you've been keeping our new recruit busy."

"I'm disciplining her," the knight said. I nodded sheepishly and tugged at one of my braids. "After the morning incident, I thought it apt that she learns not to commit such an error ever again."

"The ache on my arms will be glad to remind me of _that_ lesson for the next couple of days," I said with a small grimace. "Gods, I don't need to bow to that duke's feet or something, do I? I swear I'll never commit such a heinous act ever again."

"I'll make sure there's no need for that. Don't lose sleep over it." Chrom chuckled. "But honestly, I found the whole thing hilarious. I've never seen a person with a face that red before." He paused and reconsidered. "Or, well, now that I think about it, perhaps it was more _purple_ than red. Still, I'm actually glad you were there to spice things up. Those meetings are usually boring."

Frederick regarded the prince disapprovingly but decided to say nothing. Oh, he was definitely used to this.

"I'm not about to do an encore, if that's what you're going to ask me next, _Prince_." I said with my usual dry tone. And then I shook my head. "Can we change the subject now? So, um… anyway. Is anyone else due for a training session right now? I could use a sparring partner."

After a brief sweep of the training grounds with my eyes, I probably shouldn't have asked. There were no dull sounds of clashing practice weapons to be heard anywhere. No voices other than Chrom, Frederick, Robin and I. No teasing, no provoking. And if I needed more convincing, the obvious lack of another person in the area was clue enough for the fact that we were the only ones there.

Understandably, some of the Shepherds were still out on their patrols. And some, like Maribelle, still had other responsibilities—most of the people in this group were nobles, after all. Probably minor ones, but nobles all the same.

Of course, it's a given that the line separating a commoner from the upper class blurred a hell lot during times of war. Still, I wished someone else was here. Because the only other person I've no history of sparring with was…

Chrom. "I could go for another round if you want, River."

I quickly shook my head. "I-I dunno, Chrom. I wouldn't want to impose on your busy schedule—I mean, you're a prince, aren't you? Princes have… well, _princely_ responsibilities, after all. Won't your older sister need you?"

"Emm will be fine," the prince reassured me with a smile. He patted my shoulder. "Though it's kind of you to be so considerate. Thank you, but I can spare an hour or two."

"…Frederick?" I turned to him with a desperation that I really tried to keep from showing.

He merely smiled. "You did say that you needed to spar with someone other than those you've already sparred with. Milord will do just fine."

Usually, I wasn't really hesitant about getting to practice with someone. But considering that it was _Chrom_ whom I was about to face… Not to sound arrogant, but I didn't really know what to do if I _beat_ him. It would probably make for some bragging rights on some social circles outside of the Shepherds, but I prefer staying known as one of the lucky few survivors of Frederick's Fanatical Fitness hour. And after this morning, the village girl who embarrassed a duke in front of his fellow noblemen.

No more spotlights for me, thank you very much.

"I say, go for it," Robin then said. And whether she was aware of it or not, she was using that tone that usually got her what she wanted. Too many were the times my sister suckered me into helping her out with loads of stuff for the past several years. "I do need to evaluate you better as a fighter. The time will come when it's back to fighting on battlefields, after all."

…I hate it when she used logic on me, even though I also had the tendency to think logically from time to time. I hated it because it always worked.

I let out a sigh, one that would sound dramatic to their ears. "Fine. But let it be known that it's going to be awkward as hell fighting against a prince, of all people. Even though I'm very much aware of the we're-all-equals thing we have going on here."

"Hey," Chrom said, not the least bit offended with the way I referred to him by his position in society. Again. "It'll be fine. Besides…" He smirked at me. Challenging me. "We don't even know who's going to win here."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

Well. Suddenly I thought I could deal with this situation better.

"You know what, Chrom?" I then said, wordlessly asking Robin to hand over her practice sword with a stare and an outstretched hand. "You're on."

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

And then I lost.

"Yield." I raised my hands in surrender. His wooden sword was pointed straight at my neck, with me lying on my back after he managed to make me lose my footing. At least now I know that Chrom's combat instructors taught him well.

The prince laughed under his breath, the exhilaration of the fight definitely getting to him. "You're actually pretty good. You almost got me with that maneuver."

"And it's definitely not going to work against you again." I said, sighing.

"See? I told you you'll be enjoying this. Want to go for another round?"

"I'll make sure you get to lie on the ground, too."

"That's the spirit!"

·٠• Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ •٠·

I saw the sword lunge coming before he could even move his sword. Without pausing to think, I immediately sidestepped, dashed forward, feinted, and twirled around him before I shot my leg forward and sent him stumbling down.

And then, in almost the same manner that Chrom moved earlier, I placed the tip of _my_ sword over his heart. I wiped my brow with my free hand and smirked.

"Alright, I give." The prince said. I pulled back my weapon and helped him up with a proffered hand.

"Okay, so that wasn't _too_ bad," I admitted as the both of us returned to Robin and Frederick—and some of the Shepherds who had come to spectate. I didn't realize until now that a lot of time had passed. The sun was getting ready to set and was turning the blue sky into an orange one.

"That was… ten rounds, I think. With a few minutes of rest every two. From those fights, I think I won six and you won four." Chrom said as he walked beside me. He wasn't all that tall, but he towered over me anyway.

"I will respectfully correct you about that, good sir, and say that overall, we had a tie." I said, adopting the accent that Maribelle had.

"If your voice weren't a pitch lower than Maribelle's, and if I didn't know what you look like, I would have mistaken you for her."

I grinned. "Glad to know I could end up fooling you." And then a thought suddenly occurred to me mid-stride, making me stop.

I was smiling the same way Robin smiled at him too, wasn't I? That reminded me of something I decided to tell the prince once we were done sparring.

Chrom ending up pausing, too. "Something wrong?"

"Nah, but I just remembered something." The image of Chrom and Robin grinning at each other like they've been friends for forever appeared on my head. I faced the man and took on a more serious tone. "So hey, I noticed that you seemed to enjoy Robin's company."

"It's true. I know we haven't met for long, but there's something about her that… well, makes me want to just trust her. Silly as it sounds, I could feel a bond forming between us." The prince said honestly. And realizing what _that_ could imply, he quickly added, "But not in _that_ way. Not yet, I think. Or never? I'm not sure. Robin right now just strikes me as the kind of friend I've always wanted. She's easy to get along with."

Robin had that effect on people, though it would have been displayed more often if she could go out and socialize like a normal teenager in this period of time.

"And I'm glad that she has a friend. It's not really obvious, but Robin doesn't really have a lot of friends back home. She only has me for company most of the time." I told him. Friendship wasn't really easy to make when one was a chosen avatar for Grima. Especially when said person was meant to be in hiding. "And… well, okay, I'm actually jealous that she seems closer to you than she'll ever be with me now. But!" I raised a hand before the man could speak. "That's fine. I mean it. I just wanted to say that I want to entrust her well-being to you since I can't be around her all the time anymore. That, and I hope that you two keep staying on good terms with each other. And if you two end up being lovebirds in the future—"

"River—"

"Calm down, _milord_. I'm just saying, sheesh. My point is, I've been thinking on this while we fought, and I need to tell you that I only wish the very best for my sister. _No matter_ what direction the relationship between the two of you goes. Be it close friendship, romance, or familial love… I don't care. I just like to see her happy despite her amnesia, even if I doubt I'll ever have that amount of joy ever again. That's all." I finished with the most genuine smile I've ever made in my entire life. Gods, I might have wanted to tear up just then because I didn't realize how much those words came from my heart.

It actually made Chrom smile, too. My smiles could be infectious like that, I guess. "Alright, then. You needn't worry any longer. I promise she'll be safe with us—and you'll be safe, too, of course. You _are_ a Shepherd."

"Heh. That's right. Which means that I'll be making my own efforts to keep my sister's happiness secure, too. I know how to make sacrifices." I held out a hand. "And I know that you've already promised, but… will you swear on it, too?"

Chrom grasped it and clenched it with his. "I swear on it."

Once we resumed walking, I felt like I've taken a load off my chest. I guess I was being bothered by those stuff for a while now.

"I noticed you two stop for a moment," Robin said as she and Frederick greeted me. "Is something up?"

I gave her a hug that was so out of the blue, my sister didn't get to react. I'd taken a step back before she regained her senses. "Nothing. And don't bother asking about what I just did, either. I just felt like doing that, is all, and expect the same thing in the future."

At this, Robin couldn't help but let out a soft, amused laugh. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. You do seem oddly happier, though."

"Let's just say I needed that sparring session."

* * *

 **This chapter has been a long time coming. I'm glad I finally managed to focus on it, haha. Though I might have to write more just to get back into the swing of things.**

 **So, S.S. Chrobin may or may not set sail, but God (I actually ended up typing 'gods' out of habit, lmao), maybe I could end up writing that ship anyway and make it better than what we have in the in-game support convos. Like, say, a personal challenge to make it work. As for who River ends up with... well, it honestly depends on what direction my writing goes. I have no outlines for this story whatsoever and frankly, I'm trying not to overexpose the poor girl since this whole thing is still an Awakening story overall. DX**

 **Please review if you have anything you want to say! Silence is fine since I can't force silent readers to do anything, but I just wanted to also say that I really do appreciate the support you've all given me. Thank you so much!**


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